The re-emerging syphilis epidemic in China is documented among sex workers, but little is known about STI risk among the broader group of women who work at entertainment and service venues, many of whom do not self-identify as sex workers. In 2009 in Liuzhou, China, community informants identified venues where people meet sexual partners. Characteristics of a stratified random sample of venues were collected during venue visits. Female staff at 42 venues were interviewed and tested for syphilis. The results showed that venue characteristics, worker behaviors, and syphilis prevalence differed by venue type. Service venue workers had more sexual partners, were more likely to report sex work, and more likely to have a positive syphilis test than entertainment venue workers (prevalence ratio: 5.4; 95 % CI 1.4–20.6). To conclude, risk of syphilis differs by venue type and is higher at service venues, even among women who do not report commercial sex.

Table 2

Characteristics of women who work at entertainment and service venues

	Entertainment venues % (SD or 95 % CI)	Service venues % (SD or 95 % CI)
Number of venues	14	28
Total sample of female workers	480	183
Sociodemographic characteristics
Mean age	24.5 (23.1, 25.8)	26.9 (25.7, 28.1)
Age 15–19	30.5 (23.6, 37.4)	9.8 (4.5, 15.0)
20–24	37.6 (30.3, 44.8)	33.4 (24.7, 42.0)
25–29	13.8 (8.7, 18.8)	28.5 (20.3, 36.7)
30–34	3.9 (0.9, 6.9)	17.1 (10.0, 24.2)
35–39	4.8 (1.3, 8.2)	5.5 (1.3, 9.6)
40+	9.4 (4.7, 14.2)	5.9 (1.7, 10.0)
Resides in urban Liuzhou	86.9 (83.0, 90.8)	42.7 (35.6, 49.7)
Resides in rural county	13.1 (9.2, 17.0)	57.3 (50.3, 64.4)
Living in Liuzhou < 1 year	38.9 (31.5, 46.3)	46.7 (37.5, 55.8)
Educational attainment < High school	63.2 (56.0, 70.3)	84.1 (77.0, 91.2)
Never married	70.4 (63.4, 77.5)	53.6 (44.4, 62.8)
Has ever been homeless	6.1 (2.5, 9.6)	7.2 (2.4, 12.1)
Has ever been arrested	8.2 (4.8, 11.5)	13.6 (7.5, 19.8)
Employment at venue
Mean Income in past month all sources (RMB)	1466 (1286, 1645)	1446 (1289, 1604)
Paid by site	86.7 (83.5, 89.9)	59.2 (50.3, 68.0)
Paid by mamie	6.0 (3.7, 8.3)	16.7 (10.0, 23.5)
Paid by patrons	15.7 (12.7, 18.7)	40.0 (31.2, 48.8)
Mean number of days worked in past week	5.9 (5.8, 6.1)	5.9 (5.6, 6.2)
Purchased condom at work in last 4 weeks	11.8 (7.4, 16.3)	23.9 (16.6, 31.1)
Received free condom at work in last 4 weeks	12.6 (8.5, 16.6)	43.0 (34.0, 52.0)
Respondent currently carrying condom (and seen)	3.2 (1.0, 5.3)	24.5 (16.9, 32.0)
Sex work and sexual behavior
Has ever received gifts or money for sex	13.9 (9.6, 18.3)	45.1 (35.9, 54.3)
Has exchanged sex for money in past 4 weeks	4.9 (2.7, 7.2)	37.2 (28.5, 45.8)
Reported having sex with someone met at venue	6.0 (3.2, 8.7)	36.6 (27.9, 45.3)
Reported 2 or more sexual partners past 12 months	17.3 (12.6, 22.1)	50.5 (41.4, 59.7)
Mean number of sex partners in past 7 days	0.8 (0.6, 0.9)	2.4 (1.8, 3.1)
Syphilis test results and other health risks
Positive rapid syphilis test	2.4 (0.6, 4.2)	13.1 (7.2, 19.0)
Consumes alcohol at least once per week	22.3 (17.3, 27.3)	14.8 (8.6, 21.0)
Tested for HIV in last 12 months & received results	11.0 (7.1, 14.9)	34.3 (25.7, 43.0)
Condom use at last sex with boyfriend (of those with boyfriend)	33.4 (24.9, 41.9)	54.7 (43.5, 66.0)
Condom use at last sex	29.0 (22.2, 35.8)	56.3 (47.0, 65.6)