Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, June 25:

Only 56 per cent of female sex workers (FSW) use condoms with clients, while less than 20 per cent of them use condoms with their boyfriends or husbands. The main reason for using condoms with sex partners is just to protect from getting pregnant, while there is lack of realisation about the risk of HIV and Sexually Transmistted Diseases, a research conducted in Behavioural Surveillance Survey (BSS) among Clients of FSW in the Kathmandu Valley in March 2004 by New Era and STD/AIDS Counselling and Training Services said. The Ministry of Health and Population, National Centre for AIDS and STD Control and Family Health International have released four reports — BSS among clients of FSWS, Focussed Ethnographic Study of Risk Behaviour and Condom Use among Mobile and Static FSWs, Integrated Bio-behvaioral Survey among FSWs in the Valley and Male Sexual Health Problems and Treatment-seeking behaviour in Urban Areas. “The main reason for low use of condoms with regular sex partners seems to be the decision regarding condom use from a family-planning point of view,”said Siddhartha Man Tuladhar of New Era.