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Sex trade among young women attending family‐planning clinics in Northern California
Author(s) -
Decker Michele R.,
Miller Elizabeth,
McCauley Heather L.,
Tancredi Daniel J.,
Levenson Rebecca R.,
Waldman Jeffrey,
Schoenwald Phyllis,
Silverman Jay G.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/j.ijgo.2011.12.019
Subject(s) - medicine , family planning , demography , reproductive health , relative risk , confidence interval , unintended pregnancy , population , gynecology , pregnancy , environmental health , research methodology , sociology , biology , genetics
Objective To describe the prevalence and nature of sex trade in a clinic‐based sample of young women and to evaluate associations with sexual and reproductive health. Methods A cross‐sectional survey was conducted with women aged 16–29 years (n = 1277) presenting to family‐planning clinics in Northern California, USA. Results Overall, 8.1% of respondents indicated a lifetime history of trading sex for money or other resources. Sex trade was associated with unintended pregnancy (adjusted risk ratio [ARR] 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09–1.48), multiple abortions (ARR 1.63; 95% CI, 1.19–2.23), STI diagnosis (ARR 1.46; 95% CI, 1.27–1.68), and unwanted sex (vaginal ARR 3.64; 95% CI, 2.39–5.56; anal ARR 4.99; 95% CI, 2.17–11.50). Of the women ever involved in sex trade, 12 (37.3%) reported that their first such experience was before they were 18 years of age. Conclusion Approximately 1 in 12 participants had been involved in sex trade, illustrating the presence of patients with this history within the family‐planning clinical setting. Sex trade was associated with multiple indicators of poor sexual and reproductive health. Family‐planning clinics may represent an underused mechanism for engaging this high‐risk population.