This talk was presented at the 10th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research in Toronto in June 2001, and was also presented as a poster at the AIDS Impact conference in Brighton, England, in July 2001.

Risk Factors for Sex Trade Involvement and Rates of 
HIV-Positivity among Young Gay and Bisexual Men

Amy E. Weber, Mary Lou Miller, Keith Chan, Kevin JP Craib, Steve Martindale, Marin T. Schechter, Robert S. Hogg.

View the presentation Adobe PDF format

OBJECTIVES: To determine risk factors associated with sex trade work among young gay and bisexual men and to compare HIV prevalence and incidence among men involved and not involved in sex trade work.

METHODS: The study is based upon data obtained from a prospective cohort study of young gay and bisexual men. Participants had completed a baseline questionnaire which elicited information on demographic information, sexual behaviours, and substance use. Sex trade involvement was defined as the exchange of sex for money, drugs, goods, clothing, shelter or protection within the year prior to baseline. Contingency table and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify risk factors associated with involvement in the sex trade.

RESULTS: Of 761 eligible participants, 126 (16%) reported involvement in the sex trade. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed regular alcohol use (Odds Ratio (OR): 3.6 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.8-7.2), aboriginal ethnicity (OR: 3.7 95%CI: 1.6-8.7), unemployment (OR: 3.9 95%CI: 2.1-7.3), history of residence in a psychiatric ward (OR: 4.2 95%CI: 1.8-9.8), bisexual activity (OR: 7.0 95%CI: 3.5-14.1) and the use of crack (OR: 7.4 95%CI: 3.0-18.7) to be independently associated with sex trade work. Sex trade workers had a significantly higher HIV prevalence at baseline compared with non-sex trade workers (7.3% vs. 1.1% p<0.001). As well, HIV incidence was found to be significantly higher for sex trade workers compared with non-sex trade workers (2.8/100pyrs vs. 0.9/100pyrs p = 0.048).

CONCLUSION: Our study reveals that for male sex trade workers in this setting increased vulnerability to HIV infection is related to ethnicity, poverty, substance use and sexual behaviour.