Table 2.
Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the female sex workers surveyed in the present study in the Marajó Archipelago, northern Brazil and their respective prevalence of syphilis
| Characteristic | N | Syphilis + (%) | Syphilis – (%) | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All participants | 180 | 74 (41.1) | 106 (58.9) | - |
| Age (y) | ||||
| 18–24 | 103 | 43 (41.7) | 60 (58.3) | 0.24 |
| 25–30 | 69 | 30 (43.5) | 39 (56.5) | |
| ≥31 | 8 | 1 (12.5) | 7 (87.5) | |
| Color/race (self-declared) | ||||
| White | 42 | 15 (35.7) | 27 (64.3) | 0.24 |
| Brown (mixed race) | 84 | 35 (41.7) | 49 (58.3) | |
| Black | 54 | 24 (44.4) | 30 (55.6) | |
| Sexual orientation | ||||
| Heterosexual | 171 | 72 (42.1) | 99 (57.9) | 0.49 |
| Homosexual | 5 | 1 (20.0) | 4 (80.0) | |
| Bisexual | 4 | 1 (25.0) | 3 (75.0) | |
| Education | ||||
| Illiterate | 30 | 19 (63.3) | 11 (36.7) | < 0.01 |
| Incomplete/complete elementary school | 130 | 54 (41.5) | 76 (58.5) | |
| Incomplete/complete high school | 18 | 1 (5.6) | 17 (94.4) | |
| Incomplete college | 2 | 0 (0.0) | 2 (100.0) | |
| Marital status* | ||||
| Single | 168 | 72 (42.9) | 96 (57.1) | 0.13 |
| Married + stable union | 7 | 2 (28.6) | 5 (71.4) | |
| Separated + widow | 5 | 0 (0.0) | 5 (100.0) | |
| Monthly income in terms of minimum wagea | ||||
| ≤1 | 145 | 71 (49.0) | 74 (51.0) | <0.01 |
| 2–3 | 29 | 3 (10.3) | 26 (89.7) | |
| >3 | 6 | 0 (0.0) | 6 (100.0) | |
*
Past 12 months; aMinimum wage=R$890 (equivalent to US$220).