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Table 1 Characteristics of FSW participants disaggregated by drug using status

From: Factors associated with history of drug use among female sex workers (FSW) in a high HIV prevalence state of India

Characteristics

Ever used drugs (N = 107) n (%)

Never used drugs (N = 316) n (%)

p-value

Current age (years)

   

18–19

13 (12.1)

74 (23.4)

0.018

20–24

27 (25.2)

88 (27.8)

 

25+

67 (62.6)

154 (48.7)

 

Mean age

26

25

 

Median age

25

24

 

Marital status

   

Married

48 (44.9)

121 (38.3)

0.005

Divorced/separated

26 (24.3)

62 (19.6)

 

Widowed

16 (15.0)

28 (8.9)

 

Unmarried

17 (15.9)

105 (33.2)

 

Educational status

   

Illiterate

52 (48.6)

139 (44.0)

0.666

Upto 10th standard

48 (44.9)

151 (47.8)

 

> 10th standard

7 (6.5)

26 (8.2)

 

Consumed alcohol (past month)

   

Everyday

34 (31.8)

40 (12.6)

<0.001

At least once a week

48 (44.9)

121 (38.3)

 

Never/< once a week

25 (23.4)

155 (49.1)

 

Have sexual partners who have used or shared injecting drugs (ever) *

   

No

42 (39.3)

239 (75.6)

<0.001

Yes

63 (58.9)

70 (22.1)

 

Age at first sex*

   

<=15 years

49 (45.8)

131 (41.5)

0.447

> 16 years

58 (54.2)

184 (58.2)

 

Place of sex work#

   

Hotel/brothel

77 (72)

177 (56)

0.014

Public place

6 (5.6)

24 (7.6)

 

Home

24 (22.4)

115 (36.4)

 

Duration of sex work*

   

< 2 years

12 (11.2)

59 (18.7)

0.019

2–4 years

39 (36.4)

144 (45.7)

 

5–9 years

37 (34.6)

72 (22.9)

 

> = 10 years

19 (17.8)

40 (12.7)

 

Mean duration (years)

5.91

4.83

 

Client volume per week*

   

0–4

31 (29.0)

156 (49.4)

0.001

5–9

49 (45.8)

108 (34.2)

 

> = 10

27 (25.2)

51 (16.1)

 

Mean no. clients/week

7.72

5.72

 

Condom use with occasional clients*

   

Sometimes/never

56 (52.3)

221 (70.0)

0.002

Most of the time

24 (22.4)

49 (15.5)

 

Every time

27 (25.2)

42 (13.3)

 

Condom use with regular clients*

   

Sometimes/never

73 (68.2)

248 (78.5)

0.034

Most of the time

19 (17.8)

39 (12.3)

 

Every time

15 (14.0)

23 (7.3)

 

Condom use with main regular partners

   

Sometimes/never

98 (91.6)

283 (89.6)

0.815

Most of the time

5 (4.7)

17 (5.4)

 

Every time

4 (3.7)

16 (5.0)

 

Ever heard of HIV*

   

No

6 (5.6)

46 (14.6)

0.014

Yes

101 (94.4)

269 (85.1)

 

CT

   

Negative

76 (70.0)

253 (80.1)

0.052

Positive

31 (30.0)

63 (19.9)

 

NG

   

Negative

100 (93.4)

305 (96.5)

0.175

Positive

7 (6.54)

11 (3.5)

 

Active syphilis

   

No

78 (72.9)

280 (88.6)

 

Yes

29 (27.1)

36 (11.4)

<0.001

  1. N.B: ‘#’Hotel/brothel = bar, night club, brothel, dhaba, hotel and lodge.
  2. Public place = public place, vehicle, others.
  3. Home = home (client/FSWs) and rented room.
  4. ‘*’Data with missing cases.
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BMC Public Health

ISSN: 1471-2458

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