TY  - JOUR
AB  - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Female sex workers face substantial barriers to accessing healthcare services. We examined factors influencing preference for government versus non-government healthcare services among female sex workers in Bangladesh. METHODS: Three hundred and eighty-four female sex workers from the south-western region of Bangladesh were interviewed in this cross-sectional survey. Preferences and explanatory variables (demographics, income, abuse history, routine check-up engagement, etc.) were analyzed using ? 2 tests and multiple logistic regression (MLR) to identify independent predictors of government-facility preference. RESULTS: We recorded that about one-third (32.1%) of our participants preferred government services. Participants reporting a routine health check-up had over twice the odds of government-care preference (AOR?=?2.72, 95% CI 1.41-5.24), whereas non-Muslims (AOR?=?0.21, 95% CI 0.07-0.67) and those experiencing abuse (AOR?=?0.35, 95% CI 0.16-0.73) were less likely to choose public facilities. Higher incomes decreased the likelihood of choosing government facilities (AOR?=?0.23-0.30), while moderate household size (3-4 members; AOR?=?2.41, 95% CI 1.11-5.23) and urban residence (AOR?=?2.41, 95% CI 0.99-5.87) increased it. CONCLUSION: We conclude that engagement with routine services, socioeconomic status, religion, and abuse experiences shaped the healthcare-seeking preferences for the female sex workers. Tailored interventions, including stigma-reduction training, outreach to minority groups, and NGO-public partnerships, are needed to improve government-facility utilization among this marginalized social group in Bangladesh.
AU  - Razu, SR
AU  - Usher, K
AU  - Jones, R
AU  - Islam, MS
DA  - 2026/06/01
DO  - 10.1002/hsr2.72592
JO  - Health Sci Rep
PB  - WILEY
PY  - 2026/06/01
SP  - e72592
TI  - Determinants of Healthcare-Seeking Preferences of Female Sex Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study From the South-Western Region of Bangladesh.
VL  - 9
Y1  - 2026/06/01
Y2  - 2026/10/15
ER  -