Table 1.
Demographic characteristics and reproductive health indicators among female sex workers (FSWs) in Karnataka, India (N = 1,011).
| Participant characteristics | N | % | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age ≤25 | 457 | 45.2 | 38.9, 51.7 |
| Unable to read or write | 713 | 70.5 | 66.8, 74.0 |
| Duration in sex work ≤1 year | 171 | 16.9 | 14.1, 20.2 |
| Devadasi | 246 | 24.3 | 18.3, 31.7 |
| Mobile* | 359 | 35.5 | 30.5, 40.9 |
| Rural | 681 | 67.4 | 55.5, 77.3 |
| Ever tested for HIV (outside of pregnancy) | 953 | 94.3 | 92.4, 95.7 |
| Ever had a long-term (noncommercial) partner | 928 | 91.8 | 88.1, 94.4 |
| Registered in pre-antiretroviral treatment centers (linked to HIV care after a positive HIV test) | 68 | 6.7 | 4.9, 9.2 |
|
| |||
| Reproductive health indicators | |||
|
| |||
| Ever pregnant | 846 | 83.7 | 80.6, 86.4 |
| Number of living children | |||
| None | 253 | 25.0 | 21.1, 29.4 |
| 1–3 | 667 | 66.0 | 62.1, 69.7 |
| >3 | 91 | 9.0 | 6.6, 12.2 |
| Current contraceptive use** | |||
| None | 128 | 12.7 | 10.4, 15.4 |
| Oral hormone contraceptives | 5 | 0.5 | 0.2, 1.2 |
| Intrauterine device | 3 | 0.3 | 0.0, 1.3 |
| Condoms alone | 418 | 41.4 | 35.8, 47.2 |
| Tubal ligation | 457 | 45.2 | 39.5, 51.1 |
|
| |||
| Median number of pregnancies (range) | 2 (0,9) | — | — |
|
| |||
| Number of pregnancies | |||
| Nulliparous | 165 | 16.3 | 13.6, 19.5 |
| Primiparous | 251 | 24.8 | 21.5, 28.5 |
| Multiparous | 659 | 58.9 | 53.8, 63.7 |
| ≥1 pregnancy loss (spontaneous abortion or stillbirth) | 191 | 18.9 | 16.2, 21.9 |
| ≥1 voluntary abortion | 78 | 7.7 | 4.9, 12.0 |
| Aware of methods to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV | 235 | 23.2 | 20.0, 26.9 |
| Adequate knowledge of methods to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV | 65 | 6.4 | 5.0, 8.2 |
*FSWs who also travel to a village or city outside their place of residence to conduct sex work. **The following methods (oral hormone contraceptives, intrauterine device, and tubal ligation) could include the use of condoms for contraception.