What role does transactional sex play in the HIV/STI and reproductive health risk behaviour among high-tier entertainment centre workers in China?

Abstract

China's rapid economic growth over the last three decades has led to increased population wealth and the proliferation of entertainment centres where people can conduct business, relax and meet new people. Little is known about the sexual risk behaviours of employees at high-tier entertainment centres. This paper addresses this gap in knowledge by comparing HIV risk perception and sexual and reproductive health behaviours among female and male employees at three high-tier entertainment centres in two cities in China, comparing those who report a history of transactional sex to those who do not. In both cities, participants who reported a history of transactional sex were more likely than those without a history of transactional sex to report multiple sexual partnerships, more lifetime sexual partners, a history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), having anal sex and/or recent abortions, and were more likely to perceive themselves to be at risk for STIs/HIV. However, risk behaviour was also high among those with no history of transactional sex. These findings highlight the need for targeted sexual and reproductive health initiatives for employees in these work settings.

Keywords:

• entertainment centres
• HIV risk
• transactional sex
• sexual risk behaviour
• China

Acknowledgements

Views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Mental Health, the HIV Center, the Nanjing College for Population Program Management or the Changsha Population and Family Planning Commission.

We greatly appreciate the contributions of the women and men in these entertainment centres who gave their valuable time to participate in this research and the management who allowed us to conduct the study in their venues. We also appreciate the excellent comments of the anonymous reviewers, which ultimately helped to improve the quality of this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

None of the authors have a conflict of interest with regard to financial and personal relationships with organisations or people that could inappropriately influence the work or results of this study.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by a pilot grant from the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, a centre grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University [grant number P30-MH43520; Principal Investigator Anke A. Ehrhardt (1987-2013)/Robert H. Remien, Ph.D. (2013-2018)]: and seed funds from the Nanjing College for Population Program Management and the Changsha Population and Family Planning Commission.