ArticleInternational journal of women's health2026
Sociocultural and Structural Determinants Affecting Women's Health Among Female Sex Workers in Cameroon: A Qualitative Pilot Study.
Article in International journal of women's health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Purpose: Female sex workers (FSWs) face significant sociocultural and structural determinants that adversely affect their health and wellbeing. This qualitative pilot study explored the lived experiences, health behaviors, and underlying social determinants shaping women's health among FSWs, using the PEN-3 cultural framework to inform contextually relevant interventions. Methodology: We conducted a qualitative phenomenological study with 30 FSWs recruited through purposive and snowball sampling in Douala (n=20) and Kribi (n=10). In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted in English, French, or Pidgin and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis in NVivo, guided by the PEN-3 framework, incorporating both deductive and inductive coding approaches. Results: Participants included three types of FSWs: street-based FSWs (n=17), VIP-based sex workers (n=7), and female exotic dancers (n=6). Findings revealed a complex interplay of economic survival, stigma, and structural vulnerability. Economic pressures drove high client volumes and engagement in risky sexual practices, including condomless sex for higher pay. Participants reported widespread exposure to violence, harassment, and exploitation, including from uniform officers, compounded by the illegality of sex work. Stigma and marginalization contributed to maladaptive coping behaviors such as substance use. Despite limited engagement in formal health-promoting behaviors, notable resilience was evident through peer solidarity and informal financial support systems. Significant gaps in sexual and reproductive health knowledge were identified, with reliance on unsafe methods for pregnancy prevention and frequent use of abortion services. Community-based organizations provided HIV-related services but did not comprehensively address broader health needs. Conclusion: FSWs' health outcomes are shaped by intersecting sociocultural and structural determinants, including economic vulnerability, stigma, and criminalization. Addressing these challenges requires multi-level, woman-centered interventions that integrate sexual and reproductive health services with economic empowerment, stigma reduction, and policy reform. Improving FSWs' health is critical not only for equity but also for broader public health impact.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.