Description of the practice of female sex work and related structural vulnerabilities in Pakistan in 2006 and 2011 for the nine cities included in both rounds of the IBBS (N=6987)
| Lahore | Other Punjab | Karachi | Other Sindh | Quetta | Peshawar | All cities* | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 2011 | 2006 | 2011 | 2006 | 2011 | 2006 | 2011 | 2006 | 2011 | 2006 | 2011 | 2006 | 2011 | |
| N=425 | N=375 | N=1200 | N=1126 | N=403 | N=377 | N=800 | N=750 | N=396 | N=345 | N=423 | N=367 | N=3647 | N=3340 | |
| Age at sex work initiation, median (range) | 22 (6–43) (N=422) | 21 (11–42) (N=374) | 21 (8–41) (N=1197) | 21 (8–41) (N=1120) | 22 (10–44) (N=399) | 21 (10–46) (N=376) | 20 (12–40) (N=796) | 20 (10–37)† | 23 (9–44) (N=309) | 19 (7–30)† (N=342) | 20 (10–39) (N=415) | 23 (15–41)† (N=363) | 22 (6–44) (N=3538) | 20 (7–46)† (N=3325) |
| Sex work typology, % (95% CI) | ||||||||||||||
| Home-based | 12.2 (7.5 to 19.4) | 43.7 (33.8 to 54.2) | 41.1 (34.8 to 47.6) | 48.3 (43.0 to 53.7) | 17.4 (10.4 to 27.7) | 35.0 (24.7 to 47.0) | 41.5 (19.2 to 67.9) | 60.3 (49.7 to 70.0) | 22.7 (13.7 to 35.4) | 22.0 (11.9 to 37.2) | 34.8 (24.4 to 46.8) | 38.4 (29.3 to 48.5) | 32.5 (27.8 to 37.6) | 45.2 (41.0 to 49.4) |
| Brothel | 11.8 (1.7 to 5.1) | 8.0 (1.2 to 39.4) | 8.3 (2.4 to 25.2) | 5.3 (1.6 to 16.1) | 12.4 (1.9 to 51.5) | 8.0 (1.2 to 38.3) | 19.9 (4.6 to 55.7) | 5.9 (0.48 to 44.8) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.8 (4.3 to 21.1) | 7.5 (3.9 to 13.9) |
| Street-based | 46.1 (32.7 to 60.2) | 15.7 (10.3 to 23.4) | 36.4 (28.6 to 45.0) | 11.2 (7.3 to 16.8) | 31.0 (22.4 to 41.3) | 19.4 (13.8 to 26.5) | 25.3 (14.7 to 39.8) | 11.2 (3.4 to 30.9) | 59.6 (46.1 to 71.8) | 28.9 (28.7 to 50.1) | 24.8 (17.2 to 34.4) | 20.2 (12.3 to 31.3) | 35.7 (31.2 to 40.4) | 16.5 (12.8 to 21.0) |
| KK | 29.9 (21.3 to 40.2) | 16.5 (12.4 to 21.7) | 14.2 (10.5 to 18.9) | 19.2 (15.0 to 24.2) | 39.2 (27.1 to 52.8) | 21.8 (15.8 to 29.2) | 13.4 (4.1 to 35.8) | 10.7 (6.9 to 16.1) | 5.6 (2.3 to 12.7) | 14.8 (7.9 to 25.9) | 16.3 (9.6 to 26.4) | 18.3 (13.9 to 23.5) | 17.9 (14.4 to 22.0) | 16.7 (14.5 to 19.1) |
| Other | 0 | 16.0 (10.1 to 24.4)† | 0 | 16.0 (9.6 to 25.5)† | 0 | 15.9 (10.4 to 23.5) | 0 | 12.0 (6.3 to 21.8) | 12.1 (7.0 to 20.2) | 24.4 (16.8 to 34.0) | 24.1 (14.9 to 36.7) | 23.2 (16.7 to 31.2) | 4.1 (2.5 to 6.8) | 16.7 (14.1 to 19.8)† |
| Usual method of solicitation, % (95% CI) | ||||||||||||||
| Mediator | 41.9 (34.7 to 49.6) | 41.3 (35.4 to 47.5) | 45.8 (41.8 to 50.0) | 62.5 (53.6 to 70.7) | 38.8 (33.0 to 44.9) | 39.9 (31.7 to 48.7) | 25.9 (16.9 to 37.5) | 26.9 (20.3 to 34.6) | 27.7 (22.3 to 33.8) | 16.9 (10.8 to 25.5) | 43.2 (31.2 to 56.0) | 23.8 (15.0 to 35.6) | 37.9 (34.7 to 41.2) | 40.7 (35.9 to 45.7) |
| Phone | 9.4 (6.6 to 13.3) | 15.6 (10.1 to 23.3) | 11.6 (9.6 to 14.0) | 14.7 (9.1 to 22.9) | 28.0 (21.6 to 35.4) | 33.8 (28.9 to 30.0) | 18.5 (9.5 to 32.9) | 48.0 (33.8 to 62.6) | 32.7 (25.9 to 40.4) | 40.8 (33.3 to 48.7) | 33.2 (22.8 to 45.6) | 35.7 (29.1 to 42.9) | 19.5 (17.0 to 22.2) | 29.4 (24.5 to 34.9) |
| Public places | 43.6 (32.7 to 55.2) | 23.1 (17.0 to 30.5) | 20.8 (26.3 to 35.8) | 19.5 (15.7 to 23.8) | 26.5 (19.3 to 35.1) | 22.3 (15.4 to 31.3) | 44.9 (27.6 to 63.5) | 16.4 (9.1 to 27.8) | 32.5 (25.2 to 40.8) | 36.7 (26.7 to 48.0) | 17.9 (13.4 to 23.5) | 22.7 (14.8 to 33.1) | 33.6 (29.4 to 30.1) | 21.6 (18.5 to 25.2) |
| Referral | 5.1 (2.1 to 11.7) | 20.1 (14.5 to 27.1)† | 11.8 (8.8 to 15.6) | 3.3 (2.2 to 5.0)† | 6.8 (4.4 to 10.4) | 4.0 (2.3 to 6.7) | 10.8 (5.9 to 18.7) | 8.7 (5.4 to 13.7)† | 7.1 (4.4 to 11.2) | 5.5 (2.6 to 11.6) | 5.7 (4.4 to 7.4) | 17.9 (13.7 to 23.0)† | 9.0 (7.7 to 10.5) | 8.3 (6.0 to 10.1)† |
| Monthly sex work income in Pakistani rupees, median (range) | 10000 (500–60000) | 10000 (2000–50000) | 9000 (200–95000) | 20000 (2000–90000)† | 9000 (17–80000) | 15000 (2000–80000)† | 5000 (300–70000) | 15000 (100–120000)† | 13000 (600–40000) | 25000 (100–150000)† | 12000 (20–60000) | 15000 (100–45000)† | 9000 (17–95000) | 17000 (100–150000)† |
| Median number of clients in last 1 month (range) | 18 (2–97) (N=418) | 40 (1–222)† (N=370) | 21 (1–800) (N=1189) | 70 (8–270)† (N=1125) | 5 (1–500) (N=373) | 25 (1–200)† (N=359) | 50 (1–501) (N=760) | 45 (7–200) (N=745) | 20 (1–140) (N=128) | 60 (2–190)† (N=330) | 20 (1–70) (N=332) | 35 (10–90)† (N=358) | 25 (1–800) (N=3200) | 50 (1–270)† (N=3287) |
| Injected drugs in the past 6 months, % (95% CI) | 1.7 (0.56 to 4.8) (N=423) | 5.1 (3.0 to 8.5) (N=372) | 3.3 (2.1 to 5.1) (N=1197) | 9.5 (7.0 to 12.9)† (N=1123) | 0.74 (0.23 to 2.4) | 1.9 (0.78 to 4.3) | 0.51 (0 to 5.2) (N=780) | 3.2 (2.1 to 4.8) (N=749) | 1.6 (0.56 to 4.5) (N=374) | 6.9 (4.4 to 10.5)† (N=336) | 1.7 (0.88 to 3.2) (N=418) | 0† | 1.8 (1.2 to 2.7) (N=3595) | 5.4 (4.6 to 6.3)† (N=3324) |
| In the past 6 months, had sex with a man who injects drugs, % (95% CI) | 17.0 (12.5 to 22.7) (N=424) | 7.2 (5.2 to 9.9)† (N=373) | 15.5 (12.4 to 19.1) (N=1184) | 20.4 (17.6 to 23.6)† | 4.3 (2.9 to 6.5) (N=394) | 5.6 (3.4 to 8.9)† | 0.13 (0 to 1.3) (N=764) | 20.2 (13.9 to 28.2)† (N=749) | 3.7 (2.0 to 6.7) (N=353) | 30.6 (23.1 to 39.2)† (N=340) | 7.0 (4.2 to 11.4) (N=402) | 0.27 (0 to 1.7)† | 8.9 (6.8 to 11.6) (N=3521) | 16.0(13.9 to 18.4)† (N=3332) |
| Arrested at least once in the past 6 months, % (95% CI) | 20.5 (14.3 to 28.5) (N=424) | 24.2 (20.8 to 28.0) (N=372) | 6.6 (4.5 to 9.7) (N=1191) | 21.3 (17.9 to 25.2)† (N=1125) | 3.5 (2.3 to 5.2) (N=401) | 7.7 (5.5 to 10.7)† | 3.2 (1.1 to 9.0) (N=782) | 11.2 (8.3 to 14.9)† | 4.4 (3.0 to 6.5) (N=383) | 20.4 (16.6 to 24.9)† (N=343) | 13.4 (10.4 to 17.2) (N=418) | 2.2 (0.85 to 5.5)† (N=366) | 7.7 (6.0 to 9.8) (N=3599) | 15.6 (14.3 to 17.0)† (N=3333) |
| Physically forced to have sex in the past 6 months, % (95% CI) | 20.8 (16.6 to 25.7) (N=424) | 29.4 (24.6 to 34.8)† (N=374) | 24.5 (20.1 to 29.6) (N=1192) | 33.3 (29.6 to 37.3)† (N=1125) | 5.2 (3.2 to 8.4) (N=402) | 7.2 (4.5 to 11.2) | 7.1 (4.4 to 11.2) (N=773) | 10.9 (6.2 to 18.7) | 5.3 (3.4 to 8.4) (N=376) | 40.0 (34.1 to 46.3)† (N=340) | 20.6 (16.7 to 25.1) (N=418) | 4.6 (2.9 to 7.5)† (N=366) | 15.7 (13.3 to 18.4) (N=3585) | 22.4 (20.0 to 25.0)† (N=3332) |
| Share income with mediator, police or husband, % (95% CI) | 20.2 (14.9 to 26.9) | 56.3 (49.1 to 63.2)† | 9.7 (7.5 to 12.4) | 72.9 (68.5 to 76.9)† | 18.6 (13.6 to 24.9) | 24.9 (20.4 to 30.1) | 10.0 (5.7 to 17.1) | 42.7 (31.3 to 54.9)† | 25.6 (19.1 to 33.5) (N=394) | 54.2 (48.7 to 59.6)† | 41.9 (32.9 to 51.4) (N=420) | 43.3 (34.4 to 52.7) | 17.4 (14.8 to 20.4) (N=3642) | 53.7 (50.3 to 57.0)† |
*Refers to the following cities where the IBBS was conducted in both 2006 and 2011: Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar, Multan, Faisalabad, Sargoda (these last three in ‘Other Punjab’), Sukkur and Larkana (these last two in ‘Other Sindh’).
†Significant difference at the 5% α-level using parametric and non-parametric tests of significance between survey rounds within each region, as well as between rounds for all cities combined.
Guest house includes hotels and hostels. Usual methods of solicitation: ‘mediator’ refers to solicitation via network operators (brothel madams, pimps); ‘phone’ refers to solicitation via mobile/cellular phones; ‘public places’ refers to direct solicitation in public venues; and solicitation via ‘referral’ pertains to referral from other clients.
IBBS, integrated biological and behavioural surveys; KK, kothikhana; N, number of respondents.