| BackgroundFemale sex workers (FSWs) refer to women who have sexual relations with men to obtain money and other material rewards, In the moment, FSWs and prostitution industry have become a common social phenomenon. Prostitution is still illegal in our country, so FSWs is generally called "unlicensed prostitute". In recent years, public security departments have been actively committed to combating prostitution, which is called "anti-vice". Despite some success in the outside, prostitution has not been thoroughly checked. On the contrary, a trend of expansion and spread is observed in some coastal open cities.FSWs are at high risk of sexually transmitted diseases and also a bridge group to spread related disease. FSWs play a "amplifier" role in the dissemination of the sexually transmitted diseases. Although the behavior and prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases have largely been researched, few systematic investigation focus on the motivations for FSWs originally entering the sex industry, contextual factors, survival status and dynamics of remaining in sex work. Studies abroad have found that the cause of women entering into the sex industry and FSWs’contextual factors are important factors influencing the condom-related knowledge and behavior of FSWs population, thereby affecting the risk of infecting sexually transmitted diseases.This paper focuses on the new age features of the phenomenon of commercial sex workers under the current background of social transformation and economic conditions. By reading literature in Chinese and English, FSWs join in prostitution for a variety of reasons, summarily including in economic condition, employment factor, women attracted by sex work, the impact of cultural practices, trafficking and coercion or deception. Nowadays, more and more women actively choose to enter the sex industry. Whether some new features in terms of the willingness and motivation for domestic women entering into the sex industry are presented wait for investigation. Also, the living conditions of FSWs and their future plans need investigation and understanding.Objective1. To understand the willingness and influencing factors for entry into sex work and contextual factors of FSWs, Thus to provide a reference for deeply grasping the population characteristics of FSWs and controlling the increasing number of FSWs.2. To understand the entry way, purpose, reasons for remaining in sex work, future plans of FSWs, thus to understand the dynamics for involvement in the sex industry, which may provide the basis for guiding their healthy future life.3. To understand the FSWs’ general working characteristics, behavioral characteristics, income and expenditure and occupational risks, thus to understand their living situation, through which we wish to provide reference for disease prevention and intervention.4. To understand the pathway to prostitution and possible precursor factors among FSWs by individual depth interview.MethodsDescriptive study was used to design the investigation. In July and November in 2015, quantitative survey and qualitative interview were conducted to investigate FSWs who live on commercial sex in ’low-end’ establishments located in suburbs and rural-urban fringe zonein Qingdao city. Convenient sampling was used. The subjects was contacted with the help of the members in society organizations. The quantitative questionnaire and qualitative interview outline were designed to include in relevant issues about FSWs’ past, present and future, in which willingness and reasons for joining in prostitution and survival situation of FSWs. Epidata 3.1 was used to establish a database and all the statistical analysis of the data were finished in SPSS 21.0.Results1. In total,351 FSWs were surveyed and 14 FSWs were interviewed. The mean age is 32.42 ± 11.01 years old (range from 15 to 64 years old).2. The voluntary entrants accounted for 62.11％(218/351) and passive entry accounted for 37.89%(133/351) in the all surveyed FSWs. The influencing factors for willingness are entry age and some pre-entry personal experience, namely, original family or economic support disruption, physical violence and drop out of school. The voluntary entrants are significantly younger than the passive entrants (OR=2.467, 95％CI:1.230-4.984). The possibility of voluntary entrants has dropped out before entry into prostitution significantly less than that of passive entrants (OR=2.640, 95％CI:1.173-5.940). The possibility of voluntary entrants who experienced original family or economic support disruption and physical violence are both lower compared to that of passive entrants (OR=0.520,95%CI:0.310-0.871; OR=0.411,95%CI: 0.216-0.781).3. The’low-end’ FSWs are involved in prostitution mainly through friends or acquaintances, accounting for 80.34％(282/351). The main purpose of entry sex work is to earn a living (50.16％,160/319) and to get more money (40.75％,130/319). The first main reason for remaining in sex work is to get more money (64.96％,228/351) and the second main reason is easiness or flexible working time (45.63％,141/309). 63.53％(223/351) of FSWs indicates that they had a career change ideas, but only 41.70％(93/223) had tried to change a job.67.52％(237/351) of FSWs plan to change a job in the future. Interviews showed several pathways to prostitution. Above half of the interviewee (9/14) suffered the failure of family or economic support network and then induced by a friend who is already prostitution, sudden or unexpected events and then induced by a friend who is already prostitution.4. The’low-end’ FSWs work for 23.51±5.41 days per month. The minimum number of clients is 2.40±2.23 and the maximum is 7.03±4.75 per day. The monthly income is 8938.33±5208.72 Yuan.20.41％(60/294) of FSWs conduct the last commercial sexual behavior without using a condom. The main reasons are the guests providing more money (48.33％,29/60) and the worry of losing guests (31.67％,19/60).81.91％(154/188) of FSWs occasionally or never use a condom with their regular sex partners. The main reason is that it is no need (73.37%, 124/169). In addition,43.30%(152/351) of the subjects experienced abuse from guests,35.61％(125/351) passing people suffered being repudiated a debt by guests; 43.59％(153/351) of the subjects worry about the police’s investigation.Conclusions1. Most’low-end’FSWs are involved in sex work by voluntary. The influencing factors for willingness are entry age, original family or economic support disruption, physical violence and drop out of school before entry into sex work.2. The qualitative results indicate that the family or economic support networks disruption, sudden or unexpected events and the subsequent introduction or inducement by a friend or acquaintance are the primary pathways to sex work. The pursuit of economic interests and the easy work and free working time are the primary and secondary reasons for remaining in sex work.3. The rate of condom use among ’low-end’ FSWs is low. The low-end FSWs often think it is no need to use condoms during having sex with their regular partners. They also intend to ignore the risk of being infected when dealing with guests, because they are willing to have commercial sex without a condom for more economic interests.Suggestions1. The contextual factors are suggested to be taken into consider when the relevant departments take measures to control the increasing number of FSWs.2. The social organizations need to give more education and intervention about condom use among the’low-end’FSWs, thus control the spreading of related diseases. |
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