Table 2 Description of key socio-demographic and sex work characteristics, program intervention variables, and contextual and HIV risk factors in a behavioural tracking survey of 1750 female sex workers in south India
From: Community mobilization, empowerment and HIV prevention among female sex workers in south India
Characteristic | Belgaum | Gulbarga | Gadag | Dharwad | Solapur | All districts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n = 383 | n = 374 | n = 288 | n = 385 | n = 361 | N = 1751 | |
Socio-demographic variables | ||||||
Age (mean, SD) | 31.62 (6.45) | 32.08 (7.14) | 33.10 (6.98) | 33.55 (7.19) | 30.68 (7.33) | 32.15 (7.08) |
Unable to read or write | 74.6% | 79.1% | 79.4% | 76.3% | 64.4% | 74.8% |
Main partner status | ||||||
No partner | 23.8% | 20.1% | 27.4% | 25.9% | 9.7% | 21.1% |
Boyfriend (Not live-in or cohabiting) | 23.2% | 17.9% | 13.9% | 11.9% | 46.0% | 23.0% |
Boyfriend (Live-in or cohabiting) | 14.1% | 21.4% | 15.6% | 16.9% | 8.0% | 15.2% |
Husband | 38.9% | 40.6% | 43.1% | 45.3% | 36.3% | 40.7% |
Sex-work practice variables | ||||||
Start sex work aged less than 18 | 11.3% | 6.7% | 6.6% | 6.4% | 12.9% | 8.9% |
Duration in SW less than 2 years | 7.3% | 10.4% | 7.7% | 18.6% | 9.4% | 10.7% |
Type of Sex Work | ||||||
Street or other public place | 52.8% | 65.2% | 71.4% | 59.6% | 50.1% | 59.3% |
Brothel | 1.0% | 1.6% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 7.0% | 2.1% |
Home | 9.7% | 3.2% | 7.7% | 16.3% | 16.0% | 10.6% |
Contacted by phone | 35.2% | 29.9% | 20.2% | 22.4% | 10.4% | 24.0% |
Client no. last seven working days | ||||||
Less than 5 | 74.2% | 64.3% | 87.5% | 62.2% | 9.7% | 58.5% |
5-9 | 24.0% | 30.9% | 11.5% | 31.4% | 30.4% | 26.2% |
More than 10 | 1.8% | 4.8% | 1.0% | 6.4% | 59.9% | 15.2% |
Program Intervention Variables | ||||||
Member of an FSW community based organization | 85.1% | 77.5% | 86.8% | 70.9% | 62.2% | 76.2% |
Contacted by program more than one year ago | 91.7% | 88.1% | 93.0% | 79.4% | 57.3% | 81.8% |
Contextual Risk Factors | ||||||
Ever been arrested | 6.5% | 4.3% | 3.1% | 15.1% | 37.2% | 13.5% |
Police coercion over past 6 months (given anything to police to avoid trouble) | 13.7% | 12.0% | 12.2% | 16.0% | 34.6% | 18.2% |
Experienced physical violence in the past 6 months | 12.8% | 9.4% | 16.0% | 18.8% | 52.9% | 22.1% |
Experienced forced sex in the past 6 months | 10.7% | 10.7% | 12.2% | 16.% | 34.5% | 16.9% |
HIV Risk Factors | ||||||
Always use condoms with clients | 99.3% | 98.3% | 99.4% | 96.4% | 87.1% | 95.4% |
Always use condoms with regular clients | 96.9% | 97.3% | 94.1% | 95.5% | 82.9% | 93.3% |
Always use condoms with regular (non-paying) male partner | 49.0% | 47.8% | 44.7% | 36.1% | 30.2% | 41.2% |