Table 1 Self-reported demographic and behavioural characteristics of self-employed female and male sex workers in the Netherlands (2019–2020)

Demographics

 Country of birth

0.043

  The Netherlands

52 (65.8)

61 (80.2)

113 (72.9)

  Other country

27 (34.2)

15 (19.7)

23 (14.8)

 Educational level

0.154

  Low educational level

14 (17.7)

6 (7.9)

20 (12.9)

  Intermediate educational level

37 (46.8)

36 (47.4)

73 (47.1)

  High educational level

28 (35.4)

34 (44.7)

62 (40.0)

 Relationship status

0.021

  Relationship

36 (45.6)

21 (27.6)

57 (36.8)

  Single

43 (54.4)

55 (72.4)

98 (63.3)

 Gender sex partners in private life

0.979

  Same sex

6 (7.6)

6 (7.9)

12 (7.7)

  Opposite sex

50 (63.3)

49 (64.5)

99 (63.9)

  Both opposite and same sex

23 (29.1)

21 (27.6)

44 (28.4)

 Gender work sex partners

0.085

  Same sex

2 (2.7)

9 (12.3)

11 (7.5)

  Opposite sex

48 (65.8)

45 (61.6)

93 (63.7)

  Both opposite and same sex

23 (31.5)

19 (26.0)

42 (28.8)

Sex work

 Work years

0.027

   < 1 year

11 (16.4)

21 (36.8)

32 (25.8)

  1–5 year

33 (49.3)

24 (42.1)

57 (46.0)

   > 5 year

23 (34.3)

12 (21.1)

35 (28.2)

 Work frequency past 6 months

0.016

  Daily

29 (36.7)

22 (17.4)

46 (29.7)

  Weekly

38 (48.1)

31 (40.8)

69 (44.5)

  Monthly or less

12 (15.2)

28 (36.8)

40 (25.8)

 Reasons for self-employed sex work

  Wanted to be independent

21 (26.6)

6 (7.9)

27 (17.4)

0.002

  Bad experience with pimp, partner

8 (10.1)

2 (2.6)

10 (6.5)

0.058

  For the money

48 (60.8)

31 (40.8)

79 (51.0)

0.013

  Freedom in working hours

31 (39.2)

14 (18.4)

45 (29.0)

0.004

  I like sex

27 (34.2)

39 (51.3)

66 (42.6)

0.031

  Need money for drugs

9 (11.4)

1 (1.3)

10 (6.5)

0.011

  Already had casual partners, made it my job

13 (16.5)

7 (9.2)

20 (12.9)

0.179

  Because of a friend

10 (12.7)

7 (9.2)

17 (11.0)

0.492

  Other

7 (8.9)

4 (5.3)

11 (7.1)

0.383

 Other job besides sex work

0.000

  Yes

27 (40.3)

41 (71.9)

68 (54.8)

  No

40 (59.7)

16 (28.1)

56 (45.2)

 Main job

0.084

  Sex work

7 (25.9)

4 (10.0)

11 (16.4)

  Other job

20 (74.1)

36 (90.0)

56 (83.6)

 Work location

  Window

7 (8.9)

0 (0.0)

7 (4.5)

0.008

  Private club

16 (20.3)

5 (6.6)

21 (13.5)

0.013

  At home

28 (35.4)

28 (35.4)

56 (36.1)

0.856

  Club

10 (12.7)

2 (2.6)

12 (7.7)

0.020

  At client's home

24 (30.4)

35 (46.1)

59 (38.1)

0.045

  Hotel room

27 (34.2)

30 (39.5)

57 (36.8)

0.494

  Home of third party

11 (13.9)

12 (15.8)

23 (14.8)

0.744

  Care institution

2 (2.5)

6 (7.9)

8 (5.2)

0.131

  Swingers club

8 (10.1)

7 (9.2)

15 (9.7)

0.847

  Massage parlour

7 (8.9)

2 (2.6)

9 (5.8)

0.097

  Streets

7 (8.9)

1 (1.2)

8 (5.2)

0.034

  Other

6 (7.6)

8 (10.5)

14 (9.0)

0.524

STI risk behaviour

 Types of sex during work

  Oral sex

65 (82.3)

68 (89.5)

133 (85.8)

0.199

  Vaginal sex

68 (86.1)

60 (78.9)

128 (82.6)

0.242

  Receptive anal sex

33 (41.8)

27 (35.5)

60 (38.7)

0.425

  Insertive anal sex

n.a

43 (56.6)

n.a

n.a

  BDSM or fetish

27 (34.2)

15 (19.7)

42 (27.1)

0.043

  Use sex toys

41 (51.9)

42 (55.3)

83 (53.5)

0.675

  Erotic massage with manual climax

52 (65.8)

44 (57.9)

96 (61.9)

0.310

  Erotic massage with oral climax

44 (55.7)

48 (63.2)

92 (59.4)

0.344

 Inconsistent condom use during work

  When giving oral sex

44 (62.0)

27 (62.8)

71 (62.3)

0.930

  When receiving oral sex (only men)

n.a

56 (80.0)

n.a

n.a

  With vaginal sex

35 (35.7)

21 (29.6)

46 (32.6)

0.437

  With receptive anal sex

18 (46.2)

15 (35.7)

44 (40.7)

0.339

  With insertive anal sex (only men)

n.a

14 (25.9)

n.a

n.a

 Unprotected sex at clients’ demand

0.861

  Yes

24 (32.9)

25 (34.2)

49 (33.6)

  No

49 (67.1)

48 (65.8)

97 (66.4)

 Ask more money for unprotected sex

0.023

  Yes

21 (87.5)

14 (58.3)

35 (72.9)

  No

3 (12.5)

10 (41.7)

13 (27.1)

 Ask more money for special requests

0.007

  Yes

42 (59.2)

26 (36.6)

68 (47.9)

  No

29 (40.8)

45 (63.4)

74 (52.1)

 Alcohol use during work

0.300

  Yes

20 (25.3)

14 (18.7)

34 (21.9)

  No

59 (74.7)

62 (81.6)

121 (78.1)

 Drug use during work

0.103

  Yes

27 (34.2)

17 (22.4)

44 (28.4)

  No

52 (65.8)

59 (77.6)

111 (71.6)

 More often unprotected sex with alcohol or drugs

0.708

  Yes

13 (43.3)

8 (38.1)

21 (41.2)

  No

17 (56.7)

13 (61.9)

30 (58.8)

 Group sex during work

0.739

  Yes

33 (45.2)

31 (42.5)

64 (43.8)

  No

40 (54.8)

42 (57.5)

82 (56.2)

STI testing

 STI testing past year (self-reported)

0.946

  Yes

47 (67.1)

44 (67.7)

91 (67.4)

  No

23 (32.9)

21 (32.3)

44 (32.6)

 STI test location(s) of STI test(s) in past year^b

  STI clinic

25 (53.2)

19 (43.2)

44 (48.4)

0.359

  General practitioner

18 (38.3)

21 (47.7)

39 (42.9)

0.487

  Hospital

5 (10.6)

3 (6.8)

8 (8.8)

0.503

  Home-test

2 (4.3)

6 (13.6)

8 (8.8)

0.131

  Other

6 (12.8)

1 (2.2)

7 (7.7)

0.060

 Main reasons for last STI testing

  Routine screening

33 (50.8)

34 (68.0)

67 (58.3)

0.710

  Partner notification

5 (7.7)

3 (6.0)

8 (7.0)

0.777

  Unprotected sex

13 (20.0)

6 (12.0)

19 (16.5)

0.104

  STI related symptoms

3 (4.6)

1 (2.0)

4 (3.5)

0.330

  Condom failure

7 (10.8)

4 (8.0)

11 (9.6)

0.383

  Other

4 (6.2)

2 (4.0)

6 (5.2)

0.433

 Had an STI in the past year (self-reported)

0.500

  Yes

8 (11.6)

5 (8.1)

13 (9.9)

  No

61 (88.4)

57 (91.9)

118 (90.1)