Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics of Participating Female Sex Workers (n = 334)
| Characteristics | n (%) or Mean (SD) |
|---|---|
| Mean age (SD), years | 33.4 (9.3) |
| Country of Origin | |
| Benin | 171 (51.2) |
| Togo | 84 (25.1) |
| Nigeria | 53 (15.9) |
| Ghana | 22 (6.6) |
| Cameroon | 2 (0.6) |
| Congo | 1 (0.3) |
| Mali | 1 (0.3) |
| Education (n = 332) | |
| None | 105 (31.6) |
| Primary | 127 (38.3) |
| Secondary | 91 (27.5) |
| University | 8 (2.4) |
| Marital Status | |
| Never married | 114 (34.2) |
| Divorced/separated | 157 (47.2) |
| Widowed | 56 (16.8) |
| Married | 6 (1.8) |
| Contraceptive Method | |
| None | 215 (64.6) |
| Condom only | 57 (17.1) |
| Hormonal | 46 (13.8) |
| Intrauterine device | 3 (0.9) |
| Menopause | 3 (0.9) |
| Traditionnal methods | 9 (2.4) |
| Alcohol use in the last 4 days (n = 327) | 161 (49.2) |
| Drug use in the last 3 monthsa (n = 244) | 21 (8.6) |
| Already had an STI | 173 (52.0) |
| Already attended a condom use demonstration | 313 (94.0) |
| Identified the condom as an effective mean to protect against HIV | 327 (98.2) |
| Perceive a risk of HIV infection (n = 330) | 292 (88.5) |
| HIV positive | 96 (28.7) |
| Sexual Behaviors in the Last 2 Days | |
| At least 1 vaginal douche (n = 201)b | 201 (100.0) |
| Had sex with clients | 254 (76.5) |
| Mean number of vaginal sex acts with clients (SD) | 4.1 (4.6) |
| Had sex with a regular partner | 65 (19.6) |
| Mean number of vaginal sex acts with a regular partner (SD) | 0.3 (0.6) |
| Had sex with other type of partnerc | 3 (0.9) |
| Sexual Behaviors in the Last 14 Days | |
| Had sex with clients | 301 (91.5) |
| Mean number of vaginal sex acts with clients (n = 330) (SD) | 19.3 (23.0) |
| Had sex with a regular partner | 129 (38.9) |
| Mean number of vaginal sex acts with a regular partner (SD) | 0.9 (1.4) |
| Had sex with other type of partnerc | 9 (2.7) |
Abbreviations: HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; SD, standard deviation; STI, sexually transmitted infection.
aThe only drug used was marijuana. Missing data (n = 90) because of nonresponse.
bThe first 160 participants have missing data for vaginal douching because of the late introduction of questions on vaginal douching practices after the beginning of the recruitment.
cOther type of partner = nonpaying and nonregular partner.