Table 1 Socio-demographic and economic characteristics of female sex workers in Mekelle city, northern Ethiopia, 2014 (n = 346)
Characteristics | Frequency (n) | Percent (%) |
|---|---|---|
Age in years | ||
15–19 | 109 | 31.5 |
20–24 | 135 | 39.0 |
25–29 | 64 | 18.5 |
>30 | 38 | 11.0 |
Relationship status | ||
Had no regular partner | 198 | 57.3 |
Had regular partner | 87 | 25.0 |
Dissolved (widowed and divorced) | 61 | 17.7 |
Educational status | ||
Illiterate | 62 | 17.9 |
Literate | 284 | 82.1 |
Grade fulfilled (n = 284) | ||
Elementary (1–8) | 180 | 52.3 |
High school (9–12) | 81 | 23.4 |
Higher education | 23 | 6.4 |
Ethnicity | ||
Tigrian | 307 | 88.7 |
Others* | 39 | 11.3 |
Religion | ||
Orthodox | 339 | 97.7 |
Others@ | 7 | 2.3 |
Place of work | ||
Bar | 79 | 22.8 |
Hotel | 35 | 10.1 |
Night club | 30 | 8.7 |
Open door (in-house) | 167 | 48.3 |
Street, coffee house and others# | 35 | 10.1 |
Additional work | ||
Yes | 40 | 11.5 |
No | 306 | 88.5 |
Type of additional work (n = 40) | ||
Micro and small activity | 20 | 50.0 |
Daily labor | 8 | 20.0 |
Waiter | 6 | 15.0 |
Coffee house, housemaid | 6 | 15.0 |
Monthly income in USD | ||
<=50 | 127 | 36.7 |
50–100 | 129 | 37.3 |
>100 and < =150 | 59 | 17.0 |
>150 | 31 | 9.0 |
Birth place | ||
Urban | 174 | 50.3 |
Rural | 172 | 49.7 |
Arrived from out of Mekelle | ||
Yes | 293 | 84.7 |
No | 53 | 15.3 |
Reason leaving birth place (n = 293) | ||
Searching for better life | 167 | 57.0 |
Fear of early marriage, war or instability | 31 | 10.6 |
Family collapse | 67 | 22.9 |
Others$ | 28 | 9.5 |