Table 1
Baseline characteristics of female sex workers in Limpopo Province, South Africa (N = 94).
| N = 94 n (%) | |
|---|---|
| Mean age in years +/– SD | 27.6 +/– 0.6 |
| Mean age in years at first coitus +/– SD | 16.7 +/– 1.7 |
| Education | |
| No school | 6 (6.4) |
| Some primary school | 18 (19.1) |
| Some high school | 52 (55.3) |
| Completed high school | 18 (19.1) |
| College or more | 0 (0) |
| Status | |
| HIV positive | 32 (34.0) |
| HIV status unknown/self-reported negative | 62 (66.0) |
| Sexual Partners | |
| 1–4 | 0 (0) |
| 5–9 | 11 (11.7) |
| 10–20 | 10 (10.6) |
| >20 | 46 (48.9) |
| Do not know | 24 (25.5) |
| No answer | 3 (3.2) |
| Contraception Use | |
| None | 13 (13.8) |
| Condom use | 75 (79.8) |
| Other, no condom | 6 (6.4) |
[i] SD – standard deviation.
Table 2
Awareness of specific Sexually Transmitted Infections among Female Sex Workers.
| Variable | HIV (n = 94) | Chlamydia (n = 94) | Gonorrhea (n = 94) | Syphilis (n = 94) | Hepatitis (n = 94) | HPV (n = 94) | CC risk* (n = 94) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge, n (%) | 90 (95.7) | 4 (4.3) | 8 (8.5) | 4 (4.3) | 1 (1.1) | 3 (3.2) | 3 (3.2) |
| No Knowledge, n (%) | 4 (4.3) | 90 (95.7) | 86 (91.5) | 90 (95.7) | 93 (98.9) | 91 (96.8) | 91 (96.8) |
[i] * CC – Cervical cancer risk from HPV.
Table 3
Focus Groups: Most Commonly Expressed Themes.
| Biggest Concerns of FSWs | “I am afraid of police, but not so much anymore because the police also buy us.” |
| “We worry we will not get the money that was agreed on before we start.” | |
| “I am in a situation that forces me to do this…we need the money.” | |
| “There are men who will hurt you…sometimes they will be drunk and abusive. [Many men] do not want to use condoms.” | |
| Worried about her children being supported if she is hurt | |
| Diseases through sex | |
| Pressure of friends and housemates to do this job for money | |
| How to Improve the FSW Community | “We need jobs. I want a job so I can stop selling my body. [Some of us] don’t want to work as a sex worker anymore” |
| “There should be training for jobs. There are no jobs for someone like me here” | |
| “I want to go back to school…maybe [then] I would not have to do this.” | |
| “The government should protect sex workers…they can help us a specific place to stay and we can be safe with a salary each month.” | |
| Safe and protected place to perform the job | |
| Regular health care to check for diseases | |
| Group meetings and working together for a support system |