Table 2.
Associations Between Sex Work and Migration Characteristics of Female Sex Workers in Lomé, Togo
| Non-migrant (n=84) | Migrant (n=270) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristics | n | % | n | % | p value |
| Age (years) | 0.009 | ||||
| 18–24 | 40 | 47.6 | 82 | 30.4 | -- |
| 25–32 | 25 | 29.8 | 90 | 33.3 | 0.058 |
| 33+ | 19 | 22.6 | 98 | 36.3 | 0.004 |
| Education completed | 0.029 | ||||
| Less than primary (or never attended) | 17 | 20.2 | 86 | 31.9 | -- |
| Primary | 31 | 36.9 | 107 | 39.6 | 0.253 |
| Some secondary or more | 36 | 42.9 | 77 | 28.5 | 0.010 |
| Number of parents living | 0.448 | ||||
| Both | 34/83 | 41.0 | 104 | 38.5 | -- |
| Only one | 37/83 | 44.6 | 110 | 40.7 | 0.917 |
| Neither | 12/83 | 14.5 | 56 | 20.7 | 0.259 |
| Abortion | 0.018 | ||||
| Never pregnant | 34 | 40.5 | 82/267 | 30.7 | 0.014 |
| Never had an abortion | 26 | 31.0 | 130/267 | 48.7 | -- |
| Had an abortion | 24 | 28.6 | 55/267 | 20.6 | 0.017 |
| Tested for an STI or HIV* | 0.614 | ||||
| Not tested for an STI or HIV | 13/82 | 15.9 | 45/267 | 16.9 | -- |
| Tested for an STI or HIV | 40/82 | 48.8 | 114/267 | 42.7 | 0.594 |
| Tested for both an STI and HIV | 29/82 | 35.4 | 108/267 | 40.4 | 0.847 |
| Tested for an STI in last 12 months | 35 | 41.7 | 135/269 | 50.2 | 0.173 |
| Ever tested for HIV | 63/82 | 76.8 | 197/268 | 73.5 | 0.547 |
| Self-reported living with HIV | 1/58 | 1.7 | 18/185 | 9.7 | 0.048 |
| Living with HIV (study test results) | 20 | 23.8 | 76 | 28.1 | 0.435 |
| A health worker knows she sells sex | 42 | 50.0 | 169/269 | 62.8 | 0.036 |
| Scared to walk in public due to selling sex | 16 | 19.0 | 49 | 18.1 | 0.852 |
| Age at start of selling sex | 0.039 | ||||
| 10–15 | 10 | 11.9 | 23/269 | 8.6 | -- |
| 16–21 | 42 | 50.0 | 98/269 | 36.4 | 0.973 |
| 22–27 | 18 | 21.4 | 65/269 | 24.2 | 0.330 |
| 28+ | 14 | 16.7 | 83/269 | 30.9 | 0.047 |
| Average weekly income from sex work | 0.100 | ||||
| <10,000 CFA | 21 | 25.0 | 53 | 19.6 | -- |
| 10,000–15,999 CFA | 26 | 31.0 | 98 | 36.3 | 0.237 |
| 16,000–21,999 CFA | 21 | 25.0 | 43 | 15.9 | 0.573 |
| 22,000 CFA+ | 16 | 19.0 | 76 | 28.1 | 0.093 |
| Number of friends who sell sex | 0.131 | ||||
| 0–3 | 16 | 19.0 | 87 | 32.2 | -- |
| 4–6 | 29 | 34.5 | 85 | 31.5 | 0.075 |
| 7–10 | 19 | 22.6 | 50 | 18.5 | 0.058 |
| 11+ | 20 | 23.8 | 48 | 17.8 | 0.032 |
| Had friends over at their home in last 12 months | 0.033 | ||||
| Never | 16 | 19.0 | 83 | 30.7 | 0.010 |
| Sometimes | 26 | 41.0 | 53 | 19.6 | -- |
| Often | 42 | 50.0 | 134 | 50.0 | 0.132 |
| Anticipated stigma | 4 | 4.8 | 21 | 7.8 | 0.346 |
| Afraid | 4 | 4.8 | 16 | 5.9 | 0.681 |
| Avoid | 3 | 3.6 | 13 | 4.8 | 0.632 |
| Enacted stigma | 35 | 41.7 | 54 | 20.0 | <0.001 |
| Gossip | 3 | 3.6 | 2 | 0.7 | 0.055 |
| Denied health care | 1 | 1.2 | 1 | 0.4 | 0.381 |
| Difficulties | 33 | 39.3 | 51 | 18.9 | <0.001 |
| Perceived stigma | |||||
| Treated poorly | 1 | 1.2 | 5 | 1.9 | 0.682 |
*
STI=sexually transmitted infection, HIV=human immunodeficiency virus