Degree and correlates of sexual mixing in female sex workers in Karnataka, India
Bidhubhusan Mahapatra A H , Catherine M. Lowndes B , Kaveri Gurav C , Banadakoppa M. Ramesh C D , Stephen Moses C E , Reynold Washington C D F and Michel Alary G
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Population Council, New Delhi, 110 003, India.
B Health Protection Services, Colindale, Health Protection Agency, London NW9 5EQ, UK.
C Karnataka Health Promotion Trust, Bangalore 560044, India.
D Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
E Departments of Medical Microbiology and Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
F St John’s Medical College and Hospital, Bangalore 560034, India.
G Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Laval University, Québec City, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada.
H Corresponding author. Email: bbmahapatra@gmail.com
Sexual Health 10(4) 305-310 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH12215
Submitted: 8 January 2013 Accepted: 6 March 2013 Published: 8 May 2013
Journal Compilation © CSIRO Publishing 2013 Open Access CC BY-NC-ND
Abstract
Background: The degree of sexual mixing plays an important role in understanding disparities in sexually transmissible infections and HIV across social groups. This study examines the degree of sexual age mixing, and explores its individual and partnership level correlates among female sex workers (FSWs) in Karnataka, India. Methods: Data were drawn from special behavioural surveys conducted in 2006–07 among 577 FSWs in two districts of Karnataka: Belgaum and Bangalore. Sexual mixing in age was assessed as the difference in age between FSWs and their sexual partners, and the degree of assortativeness in sexual mixing was assessed using Newman’s assortativity coefficient. Results: A total of 577 FSWs were interviewed; 418 of whom reported two or more partnerships, resulting in 942 partnerships. In about half (52%) of these partnerships, the age difference between the FSW and her sexual partner was 5 years or more. The degree of assortativity in age mixing was 0.098, indicating minimally assortative mixing. The disassortativeness in age mixing was positively associated with young age and no formal education, and negatively with duration in sex work. Partnerships which were of a commercial nature were more likely to be disassortative than noncommercial partnerships. Conclusion: The minimally assortative age mixing indicates sexually transmissible infections can transfer from members of one age group to another. Efforts are required to limit the transmission of infection from one group to other by promoting safer sexual behaviour.
Additional keywords: age mixing, commercial sex work, Newman’s assortativity coefficient.
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