Sexual behaviour, drug use and HIV/STIs among adolescent female sex workers
| Characteristics by FSW workplace, n/N (%)† | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variable | All women, n/N (%)† | Lower-risk workplace | Higher-risk workplace | p Value* |
| Sexual behaviour | ||||
| Number of emotional partners (past 3 months) | 0.24 | |||
| Only 1 | 24/192 (12.5) | 17/102 (16.7) | 7/90 (7.8) | |
| 2–4 | 75/192 (39.1) | 35/102 (34.3) | 40/90 (44.5) | |
| 5–10 | 67/192 (34.9) | 35/102 (34.3) | 32/90 (35.5) | |
| >10 | 26/192 (13.5) | 15/102 (14.7) | 11/90 (12.2) | |
| Number of clients (past week), median (IQR) | 2 (1–3) | 1 (1–2) | 2 (1–4.5) | 0.001** |
| Condom used during last paid sex act | 146/194 (75.3) | 76/105 (72.4) | 70/89 (78.7) | 0.31 |
| Consistent condom use (last month) | ||||
| With paying client | 105/191 (55.0) | 57/99 (57.6) | 48/92 (52.2) | 0.13 |
| With emotional partner | 42/189 (22.2) | 27/103 (26.2) | 15/83 (18.1) | 0.41 |
| At least one sex act while feeling drunk (past week) | 78/155 (50.3) | 48/90 (53.3) | 30/65 (46.2) | 0.38 |
| At least one sex act without a condom while feeling drunk (past week) | 48/78 (56.4) | 27/48 (56.3) | 17/30 (56.7) | 0.16 |
| Substance using behaviour | ||||
| Any substance used (past 6 months)‡ | ||||
| Illicit drugs§ | 16/201 (8.0) | 8/105 (7.6) | 8/96 (8.3) | 0.85 |
| Tobacco | 136/201 (67.7) | 82/105 (78.1) | 54/96 (56.2) | 0.001 |
| Alcohol | 149/201 (74.1) | 92/105 (87.6) | 57/96 (59.4) | <0.001 |
| Frequency of substance use (past 6 months) | 0.03 | |||
| Everyday or almost everyday | 112/166 (67.5) | 69/95 (72.6) | 43/71 (60.6) | |
| 1 or 2 days weekly | 7/166 (4.2) | 1/95 (1.1) | 6/71 (8.0) | |
| Occasionally | 47/166 (28.3) | 25/95 (26.3) | 22/71 (31.0) | |
| Emotional partners involved in substance use | 0.44 | |||
| Never used | 52/139 (37.4) | 35/85 (41.2) | 19/54 (31.5) | |
| Previously used | 31/139 (22.3) | 19/85 (22.4) | 12/54 (22.2) | |
| Currently using | 56/139 (40.3) | 31/85 (36.4) | 25/54 (46.3) | |
| HIV and STIs | ||||
| HIV positive | 2/201 (1.0) | 0 | 2/96 (2.1) | 0.22*** |
| Self-reported symptoms of STI (past year) | 148/200 (74.0) | 73/104 (70.2) | 75/96 (78.1) | 0.20 |
| Any STI (based on clinical or laboratory screening) | 61/201 (30.4) | 24/105 (22.9) | 37/96 (38.5) | 0.016 |
| STI prevalence based on clinical diagnosis or laboratory screening | ||||
| Neisseria gonorrhoeae | 25/191 (13.1) | 4/100 (4.0) | 21/91 (23.1) | <0.001*** |
| Chlamydia trachomatis | 28/191 (14.7) | 17/100 (17.0) | 11/91 (12.1) | 0.33 |
| Syphilis | 3/201 (1.5) | 1/105 (0.9) | 2/96 (2.1) | 0.47*** |
| Condyloma acuminatum | 13/189 (6.9) | 4/100 (4.0) | 9/89 (10.1) | 0.09*** |
| Genital HSV-2 | 1/189 (0.5) | 1/100 (1.0) | 0 | 0.52*** |
*p Value comparing women working at higher-risk versus lower-risk workplaces using χ2 test unless indicated.
†Unless otherwise indicated.
‡Multiple-response question.
§Illicit drugs used include heroin, marijuana, morphine, amphetamines, ketamine, ecstasy.
**Wilcoxon rank sum test.
***Fisher's exact test.
FSW, female sex worker; STI, sexually transmitted infection.