Awareness and Knowledge of Sexually Transmitted Infections among Female Porters in Madina

Abstract

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are infections or diseases that are passed on from person to person through sexual contact. The presence of an untreated ulcerative STI increases the risk of both acquisition and transmission of HIV. Low or lack of education of has been shown to be associated with low STI awareness and knowledge. In Ghana clients with STIs are mainly young people of age 19-24 years, and female porters fall within this age group. In order to protect these young adults it is important to assess what they know about STIs. Therefore the aim of this study is to assess awareness and knowledge of STIs among this group of females. But due to very limited time of six weeks and material resources, the research (study) area has been necessarily limited to Madina township in the La-Nkwatanana Madina Municipality of Greater Accra Region. The study design was a cross sectional explorative and qualitative research using focus group discussions. The target population for the study were female porters within Madina. A purposive sampling was employed to carry out five focus group discussions in three languages. The sample of participants (50) was selected for who they were. The study found that level of education, media, workplace, health facilities, friends and families and colleague workers were important factors that influenced awareness and knowledge of STIs among the female porters in Madina. There is need to organise a national capacity building programme in the identification and prevention of other STIs so that vulnerable women such as the Madina porters in this study can upgrade their knowledge and awareness of such infections.