THE INFLUENCE OF CONDOM USE SOCIALIZATION ON THE KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES OF FEMALE COMMERCIAL SEX WORKERS IN THE PREVENTION OF SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS IN HELVETIA SUBDISTRICT, MEDAN, 2024

Health is a gift that must be acknowledged and maintained throughout life. Health improvement can be achieved by maintaining a proper diet, healthy lifestyle, and positive behavior. Health promotion includes both the prevention and treatment of diseases. One commonly encountered condition is Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), which are diseases primarily spread through sexual contact.STIs rank among the top ten causes of discomfort and disease in both men and women. The occurrence of STIs is largely due to the low usage of condoms, particularly among female sex workers. The objective of this study is to examine the effect of condom use socialization on the knowledge and attitudes of female commercial sex workers in the prevention of sexually transmitted infections in Helvetia Subdistrict, Medan, in 2023.This research uses a pre-experimental method with a one-group pre-test and post-test design. The sample was selected using the total sampling technique, meaning the entire population was used as the sample, totaling 30 individuals. The data were analyzed using a One-Group T-Test Experimental method.The results of the study showed a significant impact of condom use socialization on the knowledge of female sex workers in STI prevention, with a T-test result of 0.000. Similarly, the influence on attitudes showed the same result, 0.000, indicating a statistically significant impact.The conclusion of this study is that there is a significant effect of condom use socialization on the knowledge and attitudes of female commercial sex workers in STI prevention in Helvetia Subdistrict, Medan, in 2023. Based on these findings, it is recommended that health workers increase the frequency of educational outreach efforts, particularly focusing on STI prevention among female sex workers through consistent condom use.