Table 1

Factors associated with being a female sex worker among women incarcerated in New York City jails, 2009–2010

 TotalFemale sex worker-YesUnivariate logistic regressionMultivariate logistic regression
NN(Row %)OR (95% CI)OR (95% CI)
TOTAL10828700(6.5)
Demographic/incarceration characteristics
Age, years*
 16–19107069(6.4)0.96 (0.72 to 1.28)1.07 (0.77 to 1.49)
 20–241689136(8.1)1.22 (0.97 to 1.53)1.42 (1.09 to 1.85)
 25–342595198(7.6)1.15 (0.94 to 1.42)1.26 (1.00 to 1.58)
 35–442852191(6.7)ReferenceReference
 45–542258102(4.5)0.66 (0.52 to 0.84)0.83 (0.64 to 1.08)
 ≥553544(1.1)0.16 (0.06 to 0.43)0.33 (0.12 to 0.91)
 Unknown100(0.0)<0.01 (<0.01 to >999.99)<0.01 (<0.01 to >999.99)
Race/ethnicity*
 NH Black6406414(6.5)ReferenceReference
 Hispanic2810176(6.3)0.97 (0.81 to 1.16)1.00 (0.82 to 1.23)
 NH White123985(6.7)1.07 (0.84 to 1.36)0.96 (0.73 to 1.27)
 NH API/American Indian/Other35324(6.8)1.06 (0.69 to 1.62)1.68 (1.06 to 2.66)
 Unknown201(0.1)0.76 (0.10 to 5.71)0.26 (0.03 to 2.42)
Borough of Residence*
 Bronx2336144(6.2)2.57 (1.81 to 3.64)2.73 (1.90 to 3.94)
 Brooklyn3415232(6.8)2.85 (2.04 to 3.98)2.47 (1.75 to 3.50)
 Manhattan168342(2.5)ReferenceReference
 Queens1561141(9.0)3.88 (2.73 to 5.52)4.93 (3.41 to 7.14)
 Staten Island44627(6.1)2.52 (1.53 to 4.13)2.43 (1.44 to 4.11)
 Other1387114(8.2)3.50 (2.44 to 5.02)4.53 (3.03 to 6.76)
Ever homeless during study period
 Yes79194(11.9)2.10 (1.67 to 2.64)0.70 (0.52 to 0.95)
 No10037606(6.0)ReferenceReference
Marital status*
 Single, never married8616600(7.0)ReferenceReference
 Married/Cohabiting161772(4.5)0.62 (0.49 to 0.80)0.73 (0.56 to 0.95)
 Divorced/Separated37115(4.0)0.56 (0.33 to 0.95)0.72 (0.41 to 1.27)
 Widowed1586(3.8)0.53 (0.23 to 1.20)0.94 (0.40 to 2.25)
 Unknown667(10.6)1.59 (0.72 to 3.49)2.15 (0.84 to 5.52)
Education*
  <High school diploma/equivalent4960362(7.3)1.00 (0.84 to 1.19)0.98 (0.81 to 1.18)
 High school diploma/equivalent2921214(7.3)ReferenceReference
 Some college175674(4.2)0.56 (0.42 to 0.73)0.70 (0.52 to 0.93)
 ≥College degree48312(2.5)0.32 (0.18 to 0.58)0.42 (0.23 to 0.79)
 Unknown70838(5.4)0.72 (0.50 to 1.02)0.79 (0.47 to 1.33)
Number of prior incarcerations (in last 3 years)
 07866427(5.4)ReferenceReference
 1126862(4.9)0.90 (0.68 to 1.18)0.76 (0.57 to 1.01)
 262851(8.1)1.54 (1.14 to 2.08)1.01 (0.73 to 1.41)
 3–571373(10.2)1.99 (1.53 to 2.58)1.05 (0.78 to 1.40)
 ≥635387(24.6)5.70 (4.39 to 7.40)1.81 (1.32 to 2.47)
Number of incarcerations during study period
 17657263(3.4)ReferenceReference
 21752135(7.7)2.35 (1.89 to 2.91)2.32 (1.84 to 2.93)
 3652101(15.5)5.15 (4.03 to 6.59)4.86 (3.66 to 6.45)
 ≥4767201(26.2)9.98 (8.15 to 12.23)8.61 (6.59 to 11.25)
Current drug use   
 Yes4411403(9.1)2.07 (1.77 to 2.42)1.24 (1.02 to 1.50)
 No6417297(4.6)ReferenceReference
Physical assault history
 Yes2501179(7.2)1.12 (0.93 to 1.33)0.88 (0.69 to 1.11)
 No7641494(6.5)ReferenceReference
 Unknown68627(3.9)0.59 (0.40 to 0.88)1.53 (0.84 to 2.78)
Sexual abuse history
 Yes1890159(8.4)1.38 (1.14 to 1.66)1.00 (0.79 to 1.28)
 No8309520(6.4)ReferenceReference
 Unknown62921(3.3)0.52 (0.33 to 0.81)1.02 (0.49 to 2.11)
Intimate partner violence history
 Yes1558140(9.0)1.48 (1.22 to 1.80)1.01 (0.79 to 1.29)
 No8585536(6.2)ReferenceReference
 Unknown68524(3.5)0.55 (0.36 to 0.83)1.23 (0.73 to 2.07)
Condom use with current sex partner(s)*
 Yes3330349(10.5)2.36 (2.01 to 2.77)1.76 (1.47 to 2.10)
 No6453305(4.7)ReferenceReference
 Unknown104546(4.4)0.93 (0.68 to 1.28)1.00 (0.64 to 1.54)
Number of current sex partners*
 0211275(3.6)ReferenceReference
 16833425(6.2)1.80 (1.40 to 2.31)1.53 (1.17 to 2.00)
 2–370391(12.9)4.04 (2.94 to 5.56)2.56 (1.80 to 3.63)
 4+28470(24.6)8.88 (6.23 to 12.67)4.57 (3.05 to 6.89)
 Unknown89639(4.3)1.24 (0.83 to 1.84)1.69 (1.01 to 2.83)
Pregnant during study period
 Yes63966(10.3)1.71 (1.31 to 2.24)1.00 (0.74 to 1.35)
 No9963628(6.3)ReferenceReference
 Unknown2266(2.7)0.41 (0.18 to 0.92)0.91 (0.38 to 2.18)
Clinical status
Ever Chlamydia-positive
 Yes62385(13.6)2.34 (1.84 to 2.99)1.55 (1.17 to 2.05)
 No9492600(6.3)ReferenceReference
 Not tested71315(2.1)0.32 (0.19 to 0.54)N/A†
Ever Gonorrhoea-positive
 Yes16730(18.0)3.11 (2.08 to 4.65)1.46 (0.92 to 2.33)
 No9948655(6.6)ReferenceReference
 Not tested71315(2.1)0.31 (0.18 to 0.51)0.41 (0.22 to 0.78)
HIV status
 Positive97576(7.8)1.03 (0.80 to 1.33)0.95 (0.71 to 1.27)
 Negative6585499(7.6)ReferenceReference
 Unknown3268125(3.8)0.49 (0.40 to 0.59)0.94 (0.76 to 1.18)
  • *Reported at first incarceration during study period.

  • †OR not generated as parameter set to 0 in model (equal to linear combination of other parameters).

  • NH, non-Hispanic, API, Asian/Pacific Islander.