Table 3

Distribution of select characteristics of female sex workers (FSWs) for the different durations of sex work.



Duration of sex work (years)



Variable
 Variable categories
 Total (6648)
 >5 (N = 1499) (% of total) [% of N]
 >3–5 (N = 1617) (% of total) [% of N]
 >1–3 (N = 2419) (% of total) [% of N]
 ≤1 (N = 1113) (% of total) [% of N]
Type of FSW*
 Street-based
 5010
 946 (18.9) [63.1]
 1196 (23.9) [74.0]
 1952 (39.0) [80.7]
 916 (18.3) [82.3]

Home-based
 1499
 514 (34.3) [34.3]
 382 (25.5) [23.6]
 429 (28.6) [17.7]
 174 (11.6) [15.6]

Brothel-based
 139
 39 (28.1) [2.6]
 39 (2.4) [2.4]
 38 (27.3) [1.6]
 23 (16.5) [2.1]
Literacy *
 Illiterate
 4966
 1198 (24.1) [79.9]
 1244 (25.1) [76.9]
 1198 (24.1) [71.4]
 798 (16.1) [71.7]

Literate
 1682
 301 (17.9) [20.1]
 373 (22.2) [23.1]
 301 (17.9) [28.6]
 315 (18.7) [28.3]
Rural-urban area from where FSW was sampled*†
 Rural
 1447
 334 (23.1) [22.3]
 352 (24.3) [21.8]
 506 (35.0) [20.9]
 255 (17.6) [22.9]

Urban small
 749
 225 (30.0) [15.0]
 196 (26.2) [12.1]
 249 (33.2) [10.3]
 79 (10.5) [7.1]

Urban medium
 2838
 606 (21.4) [40.4]
 695 (24.5) [43.0]
 1085 (38.2) [44.9]
 452 (15.9) [40.6]

Urban large
 1614
 334 (20.7) [22.3]
 374 (23.2) [23.1]
 579 (35.9) [23.9]
 327 (20.3) [29.4]
Age at starting sex work (years)*‡
 12–15
 580
 278 (47.9) [18.5]
 151 (26.0) [9.3]
 145 (25.0) [6.0]
 6 (1.0) [0.5]

16–19
 1392
 291 (20.9) [19.4]
 281 (20.2) [17.4]
 528 (37.9) [21.8]
 292 (21.0) [26.2]

20–24
 2017
 381 (18.9) [25.4]
 434 (21.5) [26.9]
 776 (38.5) [32.1]
 426 (21.1) [38.3]

25–29
 1763
 355 (20.1) [23.7]
 486 (27.6) [30.1]
 647 (36.7) [26.7]
 275 (15.6) [24.7]

30–34
 692
 161 (23.3) [10.7]
 205 (29.6) [12.7]
 238 (34.4) [9.8]
 88 (12.7) [7.9]

> = 35
 203
 33 (16.3) [2.2]
 59 (29.1) [3.7]
 85 (41.9) [3.5]
 26 (12.8) [2.3]
Gap between first vaginal intercourse and sexual intercourse in exchange for money (years)*‡§
 None
 922
 355 (38.5) [23.7]
 238 (25.8) [14.7]
 269 (29.2) [11.1]
 60 (6.5) [5.4]

1–2
 481
 116 (24.1) [7.7]
 109 (22.7) [6.7]
 177 (36.8) [7.3]
 79 (16.4) [7.1]

3–5
 1062
 186 (17.5) [12.4]
 201 (18.9) [12.4]
 411 (38.7) [17.0]
 264 (24.9) [23.7]

6–10
 2102
 402 (19.1) [26.8]
 485 (23.1) [30.0]
 810 (38.5) [33.5]
 405 (19.3) [36.4]

11–15
 1393
 312 (22.4) [20.8]
 387 (27.8) [24.0]
 489 (35.1) [20.2]
 205 (14.7) [18.4]

>15
 686
 128 (18.7) [8.5]
 195 (28.4) [12.1]
 263 (38.3) [10.9]
 100 (14.6) [9.0]

*p < 0.001, Chi-square test.

†Urban small were towns with population <50000; urban medium were towns/cities with population 50001 – 200000; urban large were cities with population more than 200000; this classification was done based on Census of India data for each sub-site.

‡Age at starting sex work not available for 1 FSW, and gap between first vaginal intercourse and starting sex work not available for 2 FSWs.

§None: Age at the first vaginal intercourse and at starting sex work is same.

Dandona et al. BMC International Health and Human Rights 2006 6:5   doi:10.1186/1472-698X-6-5