Abstract
This study aims to analyze the perceptions of female sex workers in the city of Porto Murtinho (MS) on the concepts of self-care and prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and how their opinions on the subject can affect decision-making in health. The research is based on a qualitative approach developed through semi-structured interviews recorded in audio and analyzed according to the epistemology of emergence. Data collection took place in Porto Murtinho, a city that makes up the Bioceanic Route under construction to connect Brazil to Paraguay as part of a regional socioeconomic development project. In all, 8 women were interviewed who, despite revealing a sexual prevention routine and professional autonomy, reinforced the role of critical health literacy as a tool for permanent self-care and health promotion. In addition, the relationship between the implementation of the Bioceanic Route and its possible negative impact on safety and social determinants in health is highlighted, since the consequent increase in the flow of people and services in the region corroborates the growth of prostitution and sex tourism. With this, it is concluded that more effective public health policies must be taken to ensure greater health literacy for these women, as well as the need to encourage academic debate on the subject.
Keywords
health literacy; Bioceanic Route; sexually transmitted infections; sex workers