Table 1.
Characteristics of street-based female sex workers in Iran by the subgroups of Injection and Non-injection drug use, 2017
| Non-injection drug use | Injection drug use | Total N (%) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Never N (%) | Lifetimea N (%) | Past-month N (%) | P valueb | Never N (%) | Lifetime N (%) | Past-month N (%) | P value | ||
| Overall | 356 (39.64) | 542 (60.36) | 424 (47.22) | 820 (91.31) | 78 (8.69) | 34 (3.78) | 898 (100) | ||
| Age at interview | |||||||||
| 18–24 | 58 (17.79) | 59 (11.15) | 50 (12.02) | 0.003 (0.489) | 111 (14.29) | 6 (7.69) | 3 (8.82) | 0.069 (0.109) | 117 (13.68) |
| 25–34 | 149 (45.71) | 225 (42.53) | 172 (41.35) | 344 (44.27) | 30 (38.46) | 17 (50) | 374 (43.74) | ||
| ≥ 35 | 119 (36.50) | 245 (46.31) | 194 (46.63) | 322 (41.44) | 42 (53.85) | 14 (41.18) | 364 (42.57) | ||
| Education | |||||||||
| Never attended school | 25 (7.33) | 37(6.86) | 27(6.40) | 0.042 (0.133) | 57 (7.11) | 5 (6.41) | 2 (5.88) | 0.035 (0.593) | 62 (7.05) |
| Primary school | 75 (21.99) | 146 (27.09) | 114 (27.01) | 193 (24.06) | 28 (35.90) | 13 (38.24) | 221 (25.11) | ||
| Secondary school | 82 (24.05) | 159 (29.50) | 134 (31.75) | 216 (26.93) | 25 (32.05) | 8 (23.53) | 241 (27.39) | ||
| High school | 71 (20.82) | 84 (15.53) | 61 (14.45) | 149 (18.58) | 6 (7.69) | 4 (11.76) | 155 (17.61) | ||
| Diploma | 62 (18.18) | 80 (14.84) | 61 (14.45) | 133 (16.58) | 9 (11.54) | 6 (17.65) | 142 (16.14) | ||
| College | 26 (7.62) | 33 (6.12) | 25 (55.92) | 54 (6.73) | 5 (6.41) | 1(2.94) | 59 (6.70) | ||
| Income | |||||||||
| $230 USD or less | 27 (9.31) | 77 (15.91) | 61 (15.95) | < 0.001 (0.028) | 93 (26.71) | 11 (15.28) | 4 (12.90) | 0.017 (0.113) | 104 (13.44) |
| $230 to $1100 USD | 87 (30) | 164 (33.88) | 119 (31.15) | 218 (31.05) | 33 (45.83) | 16 (51.61) | 251 (32.43) | ||
| $1100 to $2200 USD | 120 (41.38) | 130 (26.86) | 105 (27.49) | 229 (32.62) | 21 (29.17) | 11 (35.48) | 250 (32.30) | ||
| $2200 USD or more | 56 (19.31) | 113 (23.35) | 97 (25.39) | 162 (23.08) | 7 (9.72) | 0 (0) | 169 (21.83) | ||
| Marital status | |||||||||
| Single (never married) | 139 (39.04) | 94 (17.34) | 69 (16.27) | < 0.001 (0.000) | 219 (26.70) | 14 (17.95) | 8 (23.53) | 0.005 (0.684) | 2333 (25.95) |
| Currently married | 51 (14.33) | 98 (18.08) | 66 (15.57) | 141 (17.20) | 8 (10.26) | 2 (5.88) | 149 (16.59) | ||
| Divorced | 115 (32.30) | 239 (44.10) | 207 (48.82) | 323 (39.39) | 31 (39.74) | 12 (35.29) | 354 (39.42) | ||
| Temporarily marriedd | 18 (5.06) | 66 (12.18) | 48 (11.32) | 73 (8.90) | 11 (14.10) | 6 (17.65) | 84 (9.35) | ||
| Widowed | 33 (9.27) | 45 (8.30) | 34 (8.02) | 64 (7.80) | 14 (17.95) | 6 (17.65) | 78 (8.69) | ||
| Housing status | |||||||||
| Living with family, friends, partner or spouse | 208 (66.67) | 284 (57.03) | 211 (54.81) | < 0.001 (0.012) | 458 (62.23) | 34 (45.95) | 15 (46.88) | 0.008 (0.352) | 492 (60.74) |
| Living in their own house | 54 (17.31) | 54 (10.84) | 38 (9.87) | 98 (13.32) | 10 (13.52) | 6 (18.75) | 108 (13.33) | ||
| Homeless | 50 (16.03) | 160 (32.13) | 136 (35.32) | 180 (24.46) | 30 (40.54) | 11 (34.38) | 210 (25.93) | ||
| Age at first sexual contacte | |||||||||
| ≤ 18 versus > 18 | 180 (59.41) | 395 (76.55) | 318 (77.56) | < 0.001 (0.591) | 514 (69.27) | 61 (79.22) | 23 (69.70) | 0.069 (0.198) | 575 (70.22) |
| Age at sex work initiationf | |||||||||
| ≤ 18 versus > 18 | 82 (30.15) | 142 (31.28) | 101 (28.37) | 0.750 (0.007) | 199 (30.47) | 25 (34.25) | 11 (34.38) | 0.508 (0.634) | 224 (30.85) |
| Ever used alcohol | |||||||||
| Yes | 180 (59.41) | 378 (69.74) | 295 (69.58) | < 0.001 (0.605) | 435 (53.05) | 63 (80.77) | 25 (73.53) | < 0.001 (0.510) | 498 (55.46) |
| No | 120 (40.59) | 164 (30.26) | 129 (30.42) | 385 (46.95) | 15 (19.23) | 9 (26.47) | 400 (44.54) | ||
| Ever incarcerated | |||||||||
| Yes | 34 (9.55) | 224 (41.33) | 167 (39.39) | < 0.001 (0.200) | 210 (25.61) | 48 (61.54) | 13 (38.24) | < 0.001 (0.003) | 258 (28.73) |
| No | 322 (90.45) | 313 (58.67) | 257 (60.61) | 610 (74.39) | 30 (38.46) | 21 (61.76) | 640 (71.27) | ||
aLifetime also includes past-month drug use/injection
bLifetime (past-month)
cDrug use also includes drug injection, and so the numbers in the subgroups do not add up to the total number
dTemporary marriage is locally named Sigheh