This was a cross-section descriptive study. The study was carried out in Katanga slum area located in a valley that separates Makerere University hill and Mulago Hospital. It is located in Kawempe division, Wandegeya parish, 3 km northwest of the center of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. Katanga slum area is divided into four local administrative zones, namely: Kimwanyi, Busia, Soweto and Katale.
The slum area was selected for the study because it represented a major category of prostitutes in Kampala known as indoor prostitutes. These are prostitutes who usually stay in their rooms of residence, waiting to be called by male clients. They could, thus be easily located and identified for the study. They usually solicited their potential clients from among passers-by, making all sorts of noises, body exposure and other tricks with deliberate intention of provoking these passers-by so that they could stop and buy sex from them. Katanga slum area is one such place with indoor prostitutes and was therefore selected for this study.
Over 15,000 people of all sexes and age inhabited Katanga slum area at the time of the study. According to information obtained from the Local Council Office Administration Headquarters, Soweto zone, had about 1,250 people; Katale zone 1,300 people; Kimwanyi zone 12,000 people; and Busia zone 900 people. The proportion of women and youth (15-44 years) is 55%, children (< 15 years) 43% and adults (> 45 years) 2%. The population for this study consisted of women who were known to be commercial sex workers.
Prostitution is illegal in Uganda and as such there were no licensed or registered sex workers in Katanga slum area. Therefore, a probability sampling approach was not possible because the number and identity of prostitutes was not known. A combination of purposive and accidental sampling approaches was therefore adopted. In the field, a "snowball" sampling approach was used to select prostitutes who were willing to be interviewed.
Quantitative and qualitative research methods were used to collect data required for the study. Two methods of data collection and extraction were employed, one following the other.
· Questionnaire: A questionnaire developed in English language was used to interview the respondents. The questionnaire was pre-tested and pre-coded with both closed and open-ended questions that answered pertinent questions regarding the in-depth knowledge; attitude, practices and behavioral patterns related to HIV/AIDS among commercial sex workers in Katanga slum area. Trained interviewers administered the questionnaires.
· Focus group discussions: These were employed to sharpen ideas not received using the questionnaire interview and were used to promote understanding of the participants' perspectives. They were employed to answer questions on what drove young women into sex work, how and in particular why sex workers behaved as they did. They were characterized by extensive probing and open-ended questions that focused on participants' feelings, practices and firmly held beliefs. Four focus group discussions were conducted, one for each zone. Each focus group consisted of 7-8 sex workers randomly selected from those who participated in the questionnaire interview. The researcher, assisted by co-researchers, facilitated focus group discussions.
Data entry and analysis was done at the Center for Peace Research under the supervision of a data manager. Quantitative data was entered and analyzed using Epi Info version 6 statistical computer package. Analysis followed standard statistical guidelines using descriptive statistics. Means and their standard deviations were used for continuous variables where as frequencies and properties were used to study the distribution of categorical variables. Graphical displays like bar charts, histograms and pie charts were used to illustrate distributions. Content analysis of qualitative data was done on selected full text responses to open ended questions and on data from focus group discussions.
· Training of interviewers: Four research assistants, who were social/community development workers, working with the Slum AID Project (SAP), a local community based organization, were recruited. They were trained in interviewing techniques and recording of responses and participatory research methods (focus group discussions). The researcher, assisted by a social worker, facilitated a two-day training workshop. During the training session, the questionnaire was explained and later pre-tested.
· Pre-testing the questionnaire: Twenty sex workers, five from each of the four zones in Katanga, were selected. These were sex workers not included in the final study. The questionnaire was then pre-tested, and after the exercise, a final questionnaire was developed which was administered in the study.
· Data cleaning: At the end of each day, the researcher cross-checked all the completed questionnaires to make sure that all the questions were answered properly and clearly recorded. During data entry, an in-built check programme within Epi Info was used to customize data entry and for automatic skip patterns.
· Coding: After pre-testing the questionnaire, a standard coding book was developed and later revised after administering the questionnaires. All questionnaires were verified on the night or day after the interview. Another research assistant coded them and then the researcher coded them the second time while preparing data entry formats.
A jury from the Organization for Social Sciences Research for Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA) approved the research proposal. Permission to conduct the study in the area was obtained from the local council executive. At the national level, approval was sought from the Uganda National Council of Science and Technology.
Before the interviews were conducted, the purpose of the study was carefully explained to the respondents. It was emphasized that the information collected from them would be treated with maximum confidentiality and the respondent's identity was not required. Consent was sought by explaining the purpose and future benefits of the study of Katanga community and commercial sex workers at large. Respondents were informed that they were free to answer or not to respond to those questions that they felt were potentially embarrassing. During focus group discussions, the facilitator took time to explain to the participants the purpose of the study and thanked them for having accepted to participate upon invitation.
The information was collected exclusively from commercial sex workers who were willing to be interviewed.
