Chi Chiao, MSc, MPH, Department of Community Health Sciences, UCLA School of Public Health, Box 951772, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, 310-794-9889, chichiao@msn.com and Donald Morisky, ScD, Department of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, 650 Charles E. Young Drive South, CHS 26-070, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772.

Background: Existing studies have well demonstrated the physical attributes of STIs among female sex workers. Little is known about their personal, family, and work traits in relation to STI.

Purpose: This study investigates sociodemographic characteristics (e.g. age, marital status, and education), family bond, and employment effect (e.g. street worker, weekly wage, and self-report paid sex) in the risk of STI among Filipina sex workers.

Data: The data were from a longitudinal study beginning in 1994 in four cites of the Philippines.

Results: Using Kaplan-Meier failure curves that estimated the proportion of sex workers who diagnosed as STIs during October 1994 through May 1995, we found 40% of 931 workers acquired STIs within 6 months. In Cox proportional hazard models, statistically most significant predictors of shorter time periods to infection were street workers compared with establishment-based workers (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.80; p< .0001) and self-report having paid sex than no report (HR = 2.00; p< .0001). Also, among establishment-based sex workers who were younger, single, but with stronger family affiliation tended to have shorter duration to infect STIs while none of these factors contributed to duration to infect STIs among street workers.

Conclusions: Short time STI infection was found to be related to types of sex workers, implying populations of street and establishment workers differ in terms of their sexual practice. Also, establishment setting plays a crucial role in controlling STIs. Further research needs to be conducted to determine the factors associated with structural influence on STI among sex workers.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to
• describe sex work in the Philippines,
• describe sociodemographic characteristics, family bond, and employment status of Filipina sex workers and
• identify and discuss predictors of duration to STI among Filipina sex workers.

Keywords: Sex Workers, Women's Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.