AUTHOR=Debel Lemessa , Ayalew Jemal , Abdella Saro , Bulti Jaleta , Bejiga Birra , Wariso Fayiso Bati , Belete Wudinesh , Habtesilase Abebe , Lulseged Silesh 

TITLE=Gender-based violence and associated factors among female sex workers in Ethiopia. Evidence from The National Bio-behavioral Survey, 2020

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2023

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1213725

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2023.1213725

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Background: Gender-based violence (GBV) is usually defined as unequal power relations between men and women, which poses a widespread public health problem. The study evaluated the prevalence and factors associated with GBV among female sex workers(FSWs) in Ethiopia.
Method:  We used cross-sectional bio-behavioral data collected using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) in 2020 from 16 towns in Ethiopia. Descriptive statistics was analyzed to summarize the study population characteristics and prevalence of GBV, and a multilevel logistic regression model was applied to identify associated factors for GBV. A p-value of ≤0.05 was used as a threshold for statistical significance.
Result: Of 6085 participants, 28.1% had experienced GBV during the last 12 months, among which; 12.7% and 22.3% experienced physical and sexual violence, respectively. FSWs aged 15–24,  and 25–34 than those 35 years or more, had a nonpaying than paying partners, had 31–60, 61-90,  and over 91  than those had less than 30 paying partners, ever had anal sex than those not, condom failure than those not, , mobile female sex workers when compared with those not mobile at the different town; 3–5 and ≥6 years than those less than 3 years stayed in selling sex, street-based, and multiple places selling sex than those used other venues were significantly associated with GBV.
Conclusion: Gender-based violence is a substantial problem among FSWs in Ethiopia, with significant implications for program planning on prevention and response to mitigate the occurrence and impact of GBV among FSWs.