Table 1.
Characteristics of the sample of female sex workers from the main cities in the states of Acre (Rio Branco), Amapá (Macapá), and Pará (Belém), northern Brazil.
| Characteristics | Belém (N = 360) | Macapá (N = 31) | Rio Branco (N = 24) | All (N = 415) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | |
| Age (years) | ||||
| Mean | 43.0 | 30.5 | 25.1 | 35.1 |
| Range | 15–71 | 15–46 | 14–36 | 14–71 |
| Marital status | ||||
| Single | 276 (76.7) | 17 (54.8) | 20 (83.4) | 313 (75.4) |
| Married | 58 (16.1) | 10 (32.2) | 2 (8.3) | 70 (16.9) |
| Divorced/widowed | 26 (7.2) | 4 (12.9) | 2 (8.3) | 32 (7.7) |
| School years | ||||
| ≤8 | 258 (71.7) | 22 (71.0) | 17 (70.8) | 297 (71.6) |
| >8 | 102 (28.3) | 9 (29.0) | 7 (29.2) | 118 (28.4) |
| Monthly income | ||||
| Up to one wage * | 256 (71.1) | 23 (74.2) | 15 (62.5) | 294 (70.8) |
| More than one wage | 102 (28.9) | 8 (25.8) | 9 (37.5) | 121 (29.2) |
| Use of illicit drugs | ||||
| Yes | 202 (56.1) | 16 (51.6) | 14 (58.3) | 232 (55.9) |
| No | 158 (43.9) | 15 (48.4) | 10 (41.7) | 183 (44.1) |
| Condom use ** | ||||
| Yes | 235 (65.3) | 18 (58.0) | 16 (66.7) | 269 (64.8) |
| No | 10 (2.8) | 3 (9.7) | 2 (8.3) | 15 (3.6) |
| Sometimes | 115 (31.9) | 10 (32.3) | 6 (25.0) | 131 (31.6) |
| Anal sex ** | ||||
| Yes (often/sometimes) | 106 (29.4) | 12 (38.7) | 8 (33.3) | 126 (30.4) |
| No | 254 (70.6) | 19 (61.3) | 16 (66.7) | 289 (69.6) |
| Clients per week ** | ||||
| Average | 10.3 | 7.8 | 11.5 | 9.5 |
| Range | 6–24 | 5–23 | 4–40 | 5–40 |
| Clients from other states of Brazil | ||||
| Yes | 220 (61.1) | 10 (32.3) | 19 (79.2) | 249 (60.0) |
| No | 84 (23.3) | 8 (25.8) | 3 (12.5) | 95 (22.9) |
| Do not know | 56 (15.6) | 13 (41.9) | 2 (8.3) | 71 (17.1) |
| Clients from other countries | ||||
| Yes | 121 (33.6) | 8 (25.8) | 17 (70.8) | 146 (35.2) |
| No | 153 (42.5) | 16 (51.6) | 5 (20.9) | 174 (41.9) |
| Do not know | 86 (23.9) | 7 (22.6) | 2 (8.3) | 95 (22.9) |
| STI history ≠ | ||||
| Yes | 80 (22.2) | 8 (25.8) | 8 (33.3) | 96 (23.1) |
| No | 280 (77.8) | 23 (74.2) | 16 (66.7) | 319 (76.9) |
| Exposure to T. pallidum | ||||
| Recent infection | 60 (16.7) | 4 (12.9) | 1 (4.2) | 65 (15.7) |
| Past infection | 71 (19.7) | 9 (29.0) | 5 (20.8) | 85 (20.5) |
*Average of the Brazilian minimum wage from 2009 to 2010 = R$ 465.00 (equivalent to US$ 103.00). ** In the last 30 days. ≠ STI: sexually transmitted infection.