Table 1
Characteristics of female sex workers on both sides of the border (N = 232).
| Dominican N = 142 | Haitian N = 90 | Total N = 232 | χ2/t | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and Abuse | ||||
| Physical violence by regular partner | 114 (80.28%) | 54 (60.00%) | 168 (72.41%) | χ2= 11.34 p < 0.001 |
| Physical violence by client | 86 (60.56%) | 53 (58.89%) | 137 (59.91%) | χ2 = 0.06 p = 0.80 |
| Physical violence by coworker | 85 (59.86%) | 74 (82.22%) | 159 (68.53%) | χ2 = 12.78 p < 0.001 |
| Socio-demographics | ||||
| Age (Mean/Standard Deviation) | 27.12 (2.77) | 28.81 (3.10) | 27.31 (2.85) | t = –4.33 p < 0.001 |
| Education | ||||
| Primary school or less | 134 (94.37%) | 82 (91.11%) | 216 (93.10%) | χ2 = 0.91 |
| ≥ Some secondary school | 8 (5.63%) | 8 (8.89%) | 16 (6.90%) | p = 0.34 |
| Substance Use | ||||
| Paid by clients in drugs or alcohol | 35 (24.65%) | 12 (13.33%) | 47 (20.26%) | χ2 = 4.37 p < 0.05 |
| Use of alcohol to facilitate sex work | 119 (83.80%) | 72 (80.00%) | 191 (82.33%) | χ2 = 0.55 p = 0.46 |
| History of Childhood Abuse | ||||
| Physical abuse | 95 (66.90%) | 37 (41.11%) | 132 (56.90%) | χ2 = 14.48 p < 0.001 |
| Verbal abuse | 123 (86.62%) | 67 (74.44%) | 190 (81.90%) | χ2 = 5.51 p < 0.05 |
| Sex Behavior | ||||
| Age of first engagement in sex with penetration | 14.01 (9.18) | 15.56 (3.76) | 14.36 (7.02) | t = –1.52 p = 0.13 |
| Age of first engagement in sex work | 15.76 (8.06) | 18.13 (3.40) | 16.39 (6.20) | t = -2.65 p < 0.01 |
| Avoid arrest through sex | 89 (62.68%) | 44 (48.89%) | 133 (57.32%) | χ2 = 4.28 p < 0.05 |
Table 2
Correlates of physical violence among female sex workers with three partner types: regular partner, client, a coworker (N = 232).
| Physical violence regular partner OR 95% CI | Physical violence client | Physical violence coworker | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Socio-demographics | |||
| Nationality Dominican Haitian | Referent 0.365 0.177–0.754** | Referent 1.524 0.725–3.205 | Referent 6.383 2.532–16.091*** |
| Age | 1.192 1.040–1.366* | 1.040 0.930–1.158 | 1.038 0.930–1.158 |
| Education Primary education or less Secondary education or higher | 7.726 2.257–26.450** Referent | 0.917 0.221–3.814 Referent | 0.917 0.221–3.914 Referent |
| Substance Use | |||
| Use of alcohol to facilitate sex work | 1.263 0.541–2.949 | 6.400 2.602–15.743*** | 6.878 2.622–18.038*** |
| Paid by clients in drugs or alcohol | 3.992 1.113–14.317* | 0.429 0.198–0.930* | 2.159 0.875–5.326 |
| History of Childhood Abuse | |||
| Physical abuse | 1.198 0.570–2.518 | 2.819 1.400–5.676** | 2.058 0.951–4.455 |
| Verbal abuse | 0.566 0.210–1.524 | 0.446 0.176–1.130 | 0.027 0.003–0.2494*** |
| Sex Behavior | |||
| Age of first engagement in sex with penetration | 0.960 0.918–1.002 | 0.920 0.824–1.027 | 1.053 0.928–1.196 |
| Age of first engagement in sex work | 0.959 0.915–1.004 | 1.002 0.946–1.060 | 0.983 0.930–1.038 |
| Avoid arrest through sex | 2.177 1.061–4.466* | 3.737 1.951–7.160*** | 1.447 0.715–2.928 |