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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Nowreen Haq, MD, MPHc, Research Physician and National Poverty and Health Fellow, ICDDR-B, Bangladesh, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 4305 Roland Springs Drive, Baltimore, MD 21210, 410 662 0983, nhaq@jhsph.edu and Shamsuzzoha B. Syed, MD, DPH, DFPH, Academic Year Resident, General Preventive Medicine Residency Program, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St., Room WB602, Baltimore, MD 21209.

Background: Approximately twenty thousand adolescent commercial street sex workers (CSSW), a particularly vulnerable and disenfranchised segment of society, currently operate in Dhaka. Multiple social and cultural determinants enhance the complexity. The interface between health and human rights for this population has not been adequately explored.

Objective: 1. To enhance the knowledge base on health and social challenges faced by CSSWs 2. To highlight key areas of concern articulated by CSSWs 3. To explore the interface between health and human rights for this population

Methods: Research was conducted in key geographical areas in Dhaka amongst CSSWs aged twelve to eighteen years. Qualitative approaches used included: six focus group discussions with six participants each; semi-structured questionnaire use for a rapid survey of fifty participants; and four in-depth interviews. These qualitative findings were analyzed in terms of key international health and human rights documents.

Results: Key themes from the qualitative analysis include the importance of: 1. Sexual health factors (family planning, STI, coercion, abortion rights, trafficking) 2. Social factors (poverty, education, early marriage, family dynamics, male dominance, substance abuse linkages) Analysis of the above themes in terms of key international health and human rights documents highlights specific relevant government responsibilities to respect, protect, and fulfill their human rights commitments.

Conclusions: When considering the needs of CSSWs interwoven health and social factors cannot be tackled individually. Approaching these challenges from a health and human rights perspective may prove productive in meeting the challenges that this population faces, from an individual, societal, and governmental perspective.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to

• Recognize the magnitude of adolescent partcipation in commercial street sex work in Dhaka.
• Articulate the complexity of the health and social dimensions to the needs of this population.
• Describe the difference between street based and brothel based commercial sex work in Dhaka.
• List 10 key health and social issues identified by this population.
• Analyze these identified issues in terms of a health and human rights framework.
• Discuss possible approaches to address the health and social needs of this population based on key findings.

Keywords: Sex Workers, Human Rights

Related Web page: www.incidinb.org/index1024.htm

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation