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Abstract
Increases in the rate of HIV infection in Vietnam among female sex workers and their clients require more effective preventive interventions based on a better understanding of this population and important subgroups within it. Because little was known about women in the hospitality sex industry, this study compared demographic and work characteristics, history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and condom use among a sample of 310 female sex workers in low-, middle-, and high-class hospitality businesses in Ho Chi Minh City (mean age = 26.77 years, SD = 6.17). Data were collected through individual, face-to-face, semistructured interviews. Logistic regression models were used to identify demographic predictors of the incidence of STIs and reported condom use. Low occupational status was most strongly associated with a history of STIs, and use of condoms with new and regular clients also differed by occupational class. Implications are discussed.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Dr. Chung A, Dr. Le Truong Giang, Dr. Truong Xuan Lieu, Dr. Duong, Dr. Jamie Uhriq, Dr. Brendan Flannery, Dr. Carol D'onofrio, Dr. James Wiley, Sesto Vecchie and Mark Beukema for their valuable advice and assistance to this research. Special thanks also are extended to the project research assistants (Bao Chau Nguyen and Chau Pham) and the women who graciously agreed to share their valuable time and information for this study. This project was supported in part by Save the Children UK Fund, UC Berkeley Dissertation Writing Fellowship, and the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (grant Number P20MD000544). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities or the National Institutes of Health.
Notes
Note. Letters (a, b, c) indicate significant chi-square between pairs of occupational status groups (p < .05).
*p < .01.
Note. Superscripts indicate significant rank-order differences between occupational status groups (p < .01).
a Differences are not significantly different; all other differences are significant at p < .05.
*p < .05. **p < .01.