Table 2 Socio-demographic, sex work, behavioural and sexual health characteristics of adolescent female sex workers, stratified by illicit drug use and polysubstance use in the past year (N = 310)
| Characteristics |
Abstain (N = 283; 91%) n (%) |
illicit drug use (N = 27; 9%) n (%) |
Abstain (N = 51; 16%) n (%) |
Polysubstance use (N = 259; 84%) n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socio-demographic variables | ||||
| Age, median years (IQR)a | 19(18–19) | 19(17–19) | 19(18–19) | 19(18–19) |
| Education level | ** | |||
| Illiterate or primary school only | 81(29) | 8(30) | 32(63) | 57(22) |
| Middle school (Grade 7–9) | 150(53) | 16(59) | 14(27) | 152(59) |
| High school or higher (Grade 10–12) | 52(18) | 3(11) | 5(10) | 50(19) |
| Current marital status | ||||
| Never married or single | 134(48) | 11(41) | 20(39) | 125(48) |
| Married or cohabiting | 149(52) | 16(59) | 31(61) | 134(52) |
| Place of birth | ||||
| local | 49(17) | 4(15) | 8(16) | 45(17) |
| Elsewhere | 234(83) | 23(85) | 43(84) | 214(83) |
| Sex work variables | ||||
| Median weekly number of male clients (PM) (IQR)a | 2(1–3) | 2(2–4) | 2(1–3) | 2(1–3) |
| Duration in sex work | ||||
| ≤ half year | 176(62) | 15(56) | 32(63) | 159(61) |
| > half year | 107(38) | 12(44) | 19(37) | 100(39) |
| Average monthly income from sex workcd | * | ** | ||
| ≤ 360 EUR (low level) | 92(33) | 3(11) | 28(55) | 67(26) |
| > 360EUR (Middle to high level) | 189(67) | 24(89) | 23(45) | 190(74) |
| Sexual behavioural variables | ||||
| Age at sex debut, median years (IQR)a | 17(16–18) | 16(16–17) | 16(15–18) | 17(16–18) |
| Coerced for forced sex at sex debut | 55(19) | 15(56)** | 15(29) | 55(21) |
| Median number of intimate male partner (PY) (IQR)a | 1(1–2) | 2(1–2) | 1(1–2) | 1(1–2) |
| Had any intimate male partner with illicit drug use | 44(16) | 15(56)** | 1(2) | 58(22)** |
| Had sex without a condom while drunk (PM) | 86(30) | 11(41) | 7(14) | 90(35)* |
| Experienced sexual and gender-based violence (PY) | 99(35) | 19(70)** | 6(12) | 112(43)** |
| Inconsistent condom use with any male partners (PM) | 200(71) | 24(89)* | 30(59) | 194(75)* |
| Unmet need for modern contraception | 97(34) | 13(48) | 8(16) | 102(39) ** |
| Utilization of health service for any STIs treatmente | ** | |||
| Safe medical care | 186(69) | 7(27) | 34(71) | 159(64) |
| Unsafe medical care | 86(31) | 19(73) | 14(29) | 91(36) |
| Received HIV testing (PY)f | 128(45) | 12(44) | 31(62) | 109(42) * |
| Sexual health variables | ||||
| Prior abortion | 12(23) | 17(63)* | 11(22) | 125(48) ** |
| Any self-reported symptom of STIs (PY) | 22(42) | 23(85)* | 21(41) | 184(71) ** |