Factors influencing consistence condom use among Barmaids in Kawempe Division.

Abstract

Introduction: Barmaids are a group of employees who work in alcohol selling venues. Their job is to serve alcohol and other beverages to customers. They are a group of people at high risk of acquiring and transmitting STIs including HIV as well as, unintended pregnancies. According to report from USAID in 2005, Correct and consistent condom use has been shown to reduce the spread of STI/HIV and unwanted pregnancies.

Methods: The study aimed at determining the prevalence and factors associated with consistent condom use among barmaids in Kawempe division, one of the 5 divisions that constitute Kampala District. The division has approximately 140,035 females. It was a descriptive cross sectional study employing both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. A total sample of 256 barmaids were selected and interviewed using multistage sampling and 12 key informants selected using purposive sampling.

Results: The prevalence of consistent condom use among barmaids in Kawempe division was found to be 47.2%. Most of the respondents were barmaids less than 30 years of age and out of these 58.6% had a minimum of secondary level education and 62.6% had no child, 51.9% earned a monthly income of more than 100,000 Uganda shillings. Factors that were found to independently affect consistent condom use were education level and access to condoms. The rest of the other factors studied like age, type of relationship, knowledge about condom use etc. were found not to be associated with consistent condom use. However, alcohol consumption emerged a major contributor to inconsistent condom use during the qualitative study.

Conclusion: Therefore, there is a need to improve enrollment of the girl child to secondary and tertiary education, and improving access to condom use.