Trading Sex for Money or Compensation: Prevalence and Associated Characteristics from a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Clinic Sample

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and individual risk factors of people who trade or sell sex among sexually active individuals seeking HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing. Using electronic agency records, an analysis of the characteristics of 5,029 youth and adults who voluntarily obtained HIV and STI testing was conducted. Multiple imputation procedures for missing data from 3 variables and logistic regression were conducted. A total of 128 individuals reported having traded sex. Nine variables had statistically significant associations with trading sex. Individuals who identified as White and female had lesser odds of trading sex, whereas individuals who were transgender, were living in a shelter, had been sexually assaulted, had a previous STI, had high-risk sex, or used drugs had greater odds of trading sex. Elevated levels of high-risk behavior in addition to sexual trauma should be considered in intervention research and community health practice. Implications for service providers and researchers are discussed.

Transactional sex among young people in Switzerland: a cross-sectional study

“…However, a study among high-school students in Quebec found a prevalence rate of 4% (17) and one using the US National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health reached almost 5% (9). Although the prevalence rate in our sample is higher than the one found in a STI clinic (2.5%) (13), it is much lower than the one found in a vulnerable sample of US adolescents and young adults, where it reached 16.3% (10).…”

“…Research on transactional sex among young people is relatively scarce in Western countries (4) and often related to trading sex specifically for money (5,6), drugs (7) or both (8)(9)(10). It is also often limited to specific populations such as university students (11), youths in foster care (6), homeless youths (12) or youths seeking testing for sexually transmitted infections (STI) (13).…”

Risky Sexual Behaviors, Substance Use, and Perceptions of Risky Behaviors Among Criminal Justice Involved Women Who Trade Sex

“…Our multivariable model further confirms this as women who were currently trading sex had higher odds than women who formerly traded sex and those who never traded sex to endorse at least two or more sexual risk perception items. This finding, that women who currently trade sex were more likely to endorse having difficulty staying within their sexual limits when under the influence of drugs and alcohol, was not surprising as sex trading is linked to other risky sexual behaviors (Gerassi, Jonson-Reid, Plax, & Kaushik, 2016;Jenness et al, 2011;Meyer, Springer, & Altice, 2011).…”

Research Priorities to End the Adolescent HIV Epidemic in the United States: Viewpoint

“…Among GBT youth, 37% were Black youth and 29% were Hispanic/Latino youth in terms of race/ethnicity, whereas 28% were White youth [3]. HIV also disproportionally impacts other marginalized youth, including those who are homeless, those who are incarcerated, those placed in foster care or other types of institutions, and those who engage in transactional sex [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Furthermore, there are geographic disparities in new HIV diagnoses.…”