Sexualized Drug Use Among Female Sex Workers From Eight Cities in China: a Cross-sectional Study

Background: There is rich literature on sexualized drug use (i.e. drug use before or during sex) for men who have sex with men but less data from female sex workers (FSW) particularly from low- and middle-income countries. We describe the sexual and reproductive health outcomes in FSW reporting sexualized drug use. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in eight cities from seven provinces in China (2019). We recruited FSW through community organizations working with sex workers, and included those who were age 18 years or above; exchanged sex at least once for money or goods in the past three months. Multivariable logistic regression models were used. Results: In total, 1287 women participated: average age was 35.1 years (SD 10.3), 52.4% reported a monthly income over 5000 RMB ($USD 707), and 17.4% completed high school or above. Among participants, 284 (22.1%, 95%CI:19.8-24.4) reported a history of sexualized drug use. Compared to FSW who never reported a history of sexualized drug use, FSW who reported a history of sexualized drug use had greater odds of: reporting inconsistent condom use for vaginal sex (AOR 2.67, 95%CI:1.93-3.69), inconsistent condom use for oral sex (AOR 2.33, 95%CI:1.25-4.37), ever had an unintended pregnancy (AOR 1.43, 95%CI:1.04-1.96), and ever diagnosed with STIs (AOR 5.39, 95%CI:3.92-7.40). Conclusion: We recommend routinely asking FSW about sexualized drug use as nearly one in five FSW reported a history of sexualized drug use and these women had an elevated risk profile compared with those who reported no sexualized drug use.