Self-rated health and quality of life in female sex workers with substance use disorders in Tehran, Iran

This study investigates the quality of life (QoL) and self-rated health (SRH) of Iranian female sex workers (FSWs) with substance use disorders (SUDs) in Tehran. The study found that over half of the participants rated their health as sub-optimal, with divorced and illiterate women being more likely to report poorer health. The findings suggest a need for mental, physical, and sexual health screening and gender-specific interventions to improve the quality of life of this population.

• 1
  The total mean QoL score was 41.03 (SD: 12.92).
• 2
  Significant differences (p < 0.05) in QoL were observed according to education and marital status, and the average QoL score was lower in women who reported permanent marriages and women who were illiterate.
• 3
  Overall, 51.6% of the women rated their health as sub-optimal, with divorced participants and women who were illiterate more likely to rate their health as sub-optimal (p < 0.05).