Relationship between Community Collectivization and Financial Vulnerability of Female Sex Workers in Southern India

Introduction

Studies exploring the linkages between financial vulnerabilities and community collectivization of female sex workers (FSWs) are scarce in India despite having potential policy implications. To fill this gap in the literature, this study attempts to understand the financial vulnerabilities among FSWs and assess the relationship between community collectivization and financial vulnerabilities in southern India.

Data and Methods

Data were drawn from a cross-sectional, behavioral tracking survey (BTS)—2014, conducted among FSWs (N = 2400) in Andhra Pradesh, a southern state of India under the Avahan-India AIDS initiative program. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated through multivariate logistic regression, to assess the independent relationships of the degree of community collectivization indicators with financial vulnerability indicators, adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics.

Results

Most FSWs (87%) reported having either one or more financial vulnerability and nearly one-fifth had a high financial vulnerability. The risk of facing financial vulnerability was significantly lower among FSWs with a high degree of perceived collective efficacy (15% vs 31%; AOR: 0.4; 95% CI: 0.3–0.5) and collective agency (4% vs 21%; AOR: 0.2; 95% CI: 0.1–0.3) as compared to their respective counterparts, after controlling for their individual socio-demographic characteristics. FSWs with a high degree of collective efficacy are also less likely to report different components of financial vulnerability (e.g. income, saving, expenditure, and debt).

Conclusion

This study finding suggests that community-led interventions such as improving collectivization are promising strategies to address financial vulnerabilities and a path to a sustainable reduction of HIV risk. This study calls for further evidence-based research and measurement of the effects of community-led approaches in addressing the financial vulnerabilities of the key population at risk for HIV.

Below:  Distribution of levels of community collectivization indicators among female sex workers (N = 2400) in Andhra Pradesh, India, 2014

Full article at:   http://goo.gl/wKNO0F

By: Sangram Kishor Patel,^1,* Parimi Prabhakar,² Anrudh Kumar Jain,³ Niranjan Saggurti,⁴ and Rajatashuvra Adhikary¹

Shira M Goldenberg, Editor

¹HIV and AIDS Program, Population Council, 142, Golf Links, New Delhi, India

²India HIV/AIDS Alliance, Sarovar Center, Secretariat Road, Hyderabad, India

³Population Council, New York, United States of America

⁴Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, New Delhi, India

Simon Fraser University, Canada

Published online 2016 May 26. doi:  10.1371/journal.pone.0156060

More at:  https://twitter.com/hiv insight

And: http://twitter.com/Prison Health