151. Migration Status, Work Conditions and Health Utilization of Female Sex Workers in Three South African Cities
- Author
-
Matthew Chersich, Jo Vearey, Stanley Luchters, Benn Sartorius, Marlise Richter, and Marleen Temmerman
- Subjects
Adult ,Zimbabwe ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Geographic mobility ,Epidemiology ,JOHANNESBURG ,Health care utilization ,Health Behavior ,condoms ,Context (language use) ,Vulnerable Populations ,law.invention ,Condoms ,CUP ,South Africa ,Condom ,Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) ,law ,Risk Factors ,Environmental health ,Health care ,medicine ,Medicine and Health Sciences ,Humans ,Sex work ,Demography ,RISK ,Transients and Migrants ,CONDOM USE ,Original Paper ,Sex Workers ,business.industry ,Public health ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,HIV PREVENTION ,virus diseases ,Health Services ,medicine.disease ,TIME ,COMMUNITY ,Migration status ,CONTEXT ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,HIV/AIDS ,Health education ,Female ,business - Abstract
Intersections between migration and sex work are underexplored in southern Africa, a region with high internal and cross-border population mobility, and HIV prevalence. Sex work often constitutes an important livelihood activity for migrant women. In 2010, sex workers trained as interviewers conducted cross-sectional surveys with 1,653 female sex workers in Johannesburg (Hillbrow and Sandton), Rustenburg and Cape Town. Most (85.3 %) sex workers were migrants (1396/1636): 39.0 % (638/1636) internal and 46.3 % (758/1636) cross-border. Cross-border migrants had higher education levels, predominately worked part-time, mainly at indoor venues, and earned more per client than other groups. They, however, had 41 % lower health service contact (adjusted odds ratio = 0.59; 95 % confidence interval = 0.40–0.86) and less frequent condom use than non-migrants. Police interaction was similar. Cross-border migrants appear more tenacious in certain aspects of sex work, but require increased health service contact. Migrant-sensitive, sex work-specific health care and health education are needed.
- Published
- 2012