Table 1.
Characteristics of the Sample by Sex-Trading Status of Women (N = 266).
| Variables | Current sex traders | Former sex traders | Never traded sex | Total | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N = 99 (37%) | N = 76 (29%) | N = 91 (34%) | N = 266 (100%) | ||
| Sociodemographic characteristics | |||||
| Black | 62 (63%) | 56 (74%) | 66 (73%) | 184 (69%) | .20 |
| Once married | 36 (36%) | 29 (38%) | 28 (31%) | 93 (35%) | .57 |
| 18–29 years of age | 19 (19%) | 15 (20%) | 45 (49%) | 79 (30%) | <.0001 |
| Had social support | 76 (77%) | 62 (82%) | 70 (77%) | 208 (78%) | .70 |
| Less than a high school diploma | 55 (56%) | 35 (46%) | 34 (37%) | 124 (47%) | .04 |
| Child sexual abuse (before 15) | 61 (62%) | 40 (52%) | 35 (38%) | 136 (51%) | <.01 |
| Separated from parents (6+ months during childhood) | 76 (77%) | 54 (71%) | 61 (68%) | 191 (72%) | .38 |
| Living with others/halfway house/streets | 86 (87%) | 62 (82%) | 55 (60%) | 203 (76%) | <.0001 |
| Ever injected drugs | 33 (33%) | 18 (24%) | 7 (8%) | 58 (22%) | <.0001 |
| DSM IV substance dependence | |||||
| Alcohol dependence | 52 (53%) | 42 (55%) | 28 (31%) | 122 (46%) | <.01 |
| Cannabis dependence | 16 (16%) | 14 (18%) | 19 (21%) | 49 (18%) | .70 |
| Amphetamine dependence | 7 (7%) | 2 (3%) | 2 (2%) | 11 (4%) | .18 |
| Cocaine dependence | 73 (74%) | 54 (71%) | 18 (20%) | 145 (55%) | <.0001 |
| Opioid dependence | 24 (24%) | 12 (16%) | 13 (14%) | 49 (18%) | .16 |
| Sexual risk and HIV perceptions | |||||
| When high/drunk, more likely to do sexual things that usually do not do | 68 (69%) | 44 (58%) | 26 (29%) | 138 (52%) | <.0001 |
| Tired of always monitoring sexual behavior | 23 (23%) | 10 (13%) | 8 (9%) | 41 (15%) | .02 |
| When high/drunk, difficult to stay within sexual limits | 62 (63%) | 37 (49%) | 23 (25%) | 122 (46%) | <.0001 |
| Like wild, uninhibited sexual encounters | 29 (29%) | 16 (21%) | 20 (22%) | 65 (24%) | .36 |
| Believe pleasure of skin to skin sex outweighs HIV threat | 16 (16%) | 19 (25%) | 13 (14%) | 48 (18%) | .17 |
| Believe HIV is no longer threat | 14 (14%) | 11 (14%) | 5 (5%) | 30 (11%) | .10 |
| Find it difficult to control sexual behavior | 29 (29%) | 16 (21%) | 11 (12%) | 56 (21%) | .01 |
| Agree with 2+ perceptions | 63 (64%) | 37 (49%) | 25 (27%) | 125 (47%) | <.0001 |
| Sex in past 4 months | |||||
| Always use condoms during sex in past 4 months | 5 (5%) | 5 (6%) | 13 (14%) | 23 (9%) | .06 |
| Used drugs/alcohol before/during sex in the past 4 months | 91 (92%) | 31 (41%) | 46 (51%) | 168 (63%) | <.0001 |
Note. DSM-IV = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.).