AIDS KNOWLEDGE, SELF-ESTEEM, PERCEIVED AIDS RISK, AND CONDOM USE AMONG FEMALE COMMERCIAL SEX WORKERS

This paper explores the effects of type of sexual partner (customer vs , primary partner) and several social psychological enabling resources (self-esteem, perceived personal risk of HIV infection, and knowledge about AIDS/HIV) on condom use among 141 female commercial sex workers . The data examine condom use during the respondents' most recent sexu al activity with a male partner. Logistic regression analysis supports earlier findings that commercial sex workers are significantly more l ikely to use condom during commercial sex with a customer, rather than relational sex with a spouse or significant other. Subsequent multipl e logistic regression analysis indicates that, controlling for type of sexual partner (client vs, primary partner), the odds of condom use a re significantly increased by the respondents' knowledge about AIDS, l evel of self-esteem, and personal sense of risk of AIDS infection.