Survival Sex Trading in Los Angeles County, California, USA

ABSTRACT

Most studies on survival sex, defined as sex trading for money, drugs, or other needs, have limited their focus to adolescents. The current study reports about the relationships between survival sex trading (SST) and high-risk behaviors in a sample of adults. Bivariate analysis shows that HIV-positive status, use of cocaine, ketamine, methamphetamine, heroin, having received drug treatment, and having received medical services are associated with SST. SST are more likely to not use condoms with partners other than their main partner, to have partners who inject drugs and are more likely to use drugs with sex. A logistic regression model included unwanted sexual touching, partner abuse, identifying as bisexual, African American, higher age, gender (women more likely), homelessness, a higher number of sexual partners, having anal sex, injection drug use, HIV seropositivity, crack use, and the likelihood of injecting drugs. The model was retested on independently collected Risk Behavior Assessment (RBA) data and showed significant relationships between survival sex and crack use, gender (women more likely), HIV positivity, identifying as bisexual, having anal sex, African American, and a higher number of sex partners. These findings make it imperative to integrate victimization counseling and HIV education into substance abuse treatment programs.

Additional information

Funding

Award Number R01DA030234 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and Award Number P20MD003942 from the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute on Drug Abuse or the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities. This research was also funded, in part, by the City of Long Beach, California Department of Health and Human Services contract 28569, and Los Angeles County, California, Office of AIDS Programs and Policy contracts 700938 and 700939.