Pan, Suiming
Institute for Research in Sexuality and Gender
Renmin University of China
Beijing, P. R. China

Th.D.461

Qualitative Study on Status Quo of Sex Workers And Their AIDS-Related Sexual Behavior in Two Kinds of Chinese Cities

Issue

The number and the sphere of secret female sex workers in China were increasing speedily. Unprotected sexual intercourse and anal sex were guessed as quite much during the prostitute activities. However, what kinds of factors had paid their important influence upon such AIDS-related behavior was still not clear. The author's hypothesis was: when the sex workers under different status quo have sex with different customers, they would have different behavior.

Project

From June to September 1995, 23 samples in the 3 southern large cities in where prostitution was relatively much and open and 22 samples in the 4 northern small cities where was contrary were interviewed anonymously and qualitatively with the same outline for investigation. The samples were collected from the massage houses, the dancing/ singing halls, etc. in where they prostitute themselves secretly. The interviewer's professional identity and the goal of the interview were open to the samples. The samples were paid for being interviewed and given basic knowledge of preventing HIV. No any policeman or officer was involved. About half to one hour was taken for every interview. The data was recorded afterwards.

Results

1. The secret female sex workers who already prepared to do such a work before they immigrated into the cities from rural area were more like to use condom during they prostitute themselves. Those who involved accidentally into prostitution after they immigrated into the cities were less like to use condom.

2. Those who were controlled by a boss or a procurer tended to be forced to accept more much anal sex with or without condom. Those who worked along were contrary.

3. Those sex workers who worked in a larger working place and learned from each other frequently tended to accept anal sex more much. 3) Violence of the customers, not the count of money he gave, paid the most important influence upon whether or not the sex workers accepted unprotected intercourse and anal sex with or without condom. 4) Whether the customers who required anal sex used condom or not depended upon their own unknown interesting, not the female's degree of fighting against.

Lessons Learned

The society should pay it's main education of preventing HIV to those female sex workers who lived and worked together in a larger place and under the control of their boss. The society should protect sex workers from the customers' violence and force.

Pan Suiming
39 Hai Dian Road
Renmin University 23#
Beijing, 100872, China
Tel: (86-10) 2513380