Table 1.
Characteristics of Female Sex Workers and Stigma Affecting Healthcare Engagement in Lomé, Togo
| Sample (N=354) | Reported stigma (N=107/354; 30.2%) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristics | n | % | n | % | p value |
| Migrant (rural-urban, international migrant or moved to more than 1 city in last 12 months) | 270 | 76.3 | 71 | 26.3 | 0.004 |
| Rural-urban migrant | 164 | 46.3 | 48 | 29.3 | 0.715 |
| Moved to more than 1 city in last 12 months | 138 | 39.0 | 23 | 16.7 | 0.000 |
| International migrant | 118 | 33.3 | 31 | 26.3 | 0.244 |
| Internationally migrated to make more money | 73/118 | 61.9 | 18 | 24.7 | 0.612 |
| Age (years) | 0.026 | ||||
| 18–24 | 122 | 34.5 | 27 | 22.1 | -- |
| 25–32 | 115 | 32.5 | 44 | 38.3 | 0.007 |
| 33+ | 117 | 33.1 | 36 | 30.8 | 0.131 |
| Education completed | 0.025 | ||||
| Less than primary (or never attended) | 103 | 29.1 | 39 | 37.9 | -- |
| Primary | 138 | 39.0 | 44 | 31.9 | 0.334 |
| Some secondary or more | 113 | 31.9 | 24 | 21.2 | 0.008 |
| Number of parents living | 0.046 | ||||
| Both | 138/353 | 39.1 | 31 | 22.5 | -- |
| Only one | 147/353 | 41.6 | 51 | 34.7 | 0.023 |
| Neither | 68/353 | 19.3 | 24 | 35.3 | 0.052 |
| Marital status | 0.811 | ||||
| Single/never married | 179/353 | 50.7 | 52 | 29.1 | -- |
| Married/co-habiting | 26/353 | 7.4 | 10 | 38.5 | 0.331 |
| Divorced/separated | 106/353 | 30.0 | 32 | 30.2 | 0.839 |
| Widowed | 42/353 | 11.9 | 13 | 31.0 | 0.808 |
| Living arrangement | 0.168 | ||||
| Rent | 210/348 | 60.3 | 68 | 32.4 | -- |
| Own | 9/348 | 2.6 | 5 | 55.6 | 0.160 |
| Staying with someone | 42/348 | 12.1 | 11 | 26.2 | 0.056 |
| Brothel | 87/348 | 25.0 | 21 | 24.1 | 0.800 |
| Has biological children | 278 | 78.5 | 81 | 29.1 | 0.402 |
| One or more children living in household | 133/353 | 37.7 | 34 | 25.6 | 0.155 |
| Abortion | <0.001 | ||||
| Never pregnant | 116/351 | 33.0 | 30 | 25.9 | 0.510 |
| Never had an abortion | 156/351 | 44.4 | 35 | 22.4 | -- |
| Had an abortion | 79/351 | 22.5 | 40 | 50.6 | <0.001 |
| Tested for an STI or HIV* | 0.041 | ||||
| Not tested for an STI or HIV | 58/349 | 16.6 | 19 | 32.8 | 0.110 |
| Tested for an STI or HIV | 154/349 | 44.1 | 54 | 35.1 | 0.010 |
| Tested for both an STI and HIV | 137/349 | 39.3 | 30 | 21.9 | -- |
| Tested for an STI in last 12 months | 170/353 | 48.2 | 35 | 20.6 | <0.001 |
| Ever tested for HIV | 260/350 | 74.3 | 80 | 30.8 | 0.350 |
| Self-reported living with HIV | 19/243 | 7.8 | 18 | 94.7 | 0.090 |
| Living with HIV (study test results) | 96 | 27.1 | 32 | 33.3 | 0.437 |
| A health worker knows she sells sex | 211/353 | 59.8 | 39 | 18.5 | <0.001 |
| Scared to walk in public due to selling sex | 65 | 18.4 | 32 | 49.2 | <0.001 |
| Age at start of selling sex | 0.045 | ||||
| 10–15 | 33/353 | 9.3 | 7 | 21.2 | -- |
| 16–21 | 140/353 | 39.7 | 36 | 25.7 | 0.591 |
| 22–27 | 83/353 | 23.5 | 35 | 42.2 | 0.038 |
| 28+ | 97/353 | 27.5 | 29 | 29.9 | 0.338 |
| Total income is from sex work | 121 | 34.2 | 33 | 27.3 | 0.383 |
| Average weekly income from sex work | 0.065 | ||||
| <10,000 CFA | 74 | 20.9 | 31 | 41.9 | -- |
| 10,000–15,999 CFA | 124 | 35.0 | 38 | 30.6 | 0.110 |
| 16,000–21,999 CFA | 64 | 18.1 | 16 | 25.0 | 0.038 |
| 22,000 CFA+ | 92 | 26.0 | 22 | 23.9 | 0.014 |
| Number of friends who sell sex | 0.277 | ||||
| 0–3 | 103 | 29.1 | 25 | 24.3 | -- |
| 4–6 | 114 | 32.2 | 34 | 29.8 | 0.359 |
| 7–10 | 69 | 19.5 | 22 | 31.9 | 0.273 |
| 11+ | 68 | 19.2 | 26 | 38.2 | 0.052 |
| Had friends over at their home in last 12 months | 0.354 | ||||
| Never | 99 | 28.0 | 29 | 29.3 | -- |
| Sometimes | 79 | 22.3 | 29 | 36.7 | 0.295 |
| Often | 176 | 49.7 | 49 | 27.8 | 0.798 |
*
STI=sexually transmitted infection, HIV=human immunodeficiency virus