Prevalence & Correlates of Hazardous Drinking among Female Sex Workers in 13 Mexican Cities

To describe the prevalence and correlates of hazardous drinking among female sex workers (FSWs) at 13 sites throughout Mexico.

FSWs (N = 1089) who were enrolled in a brief sexual risk reduction intervention (Mujer Segura) were queried about their sexual risk and substance use practices and their work contexts. Participants were classified as hazardous or non-hazardous drinkers based on the Alcohol Use Disorders test (AUDIT-C). Logistic regression models were used to examine individual, contextual, and community-level factors as correlates of hazardous drinking.

Ninety-two percent of participants reported alcohol consumption in the past month. Among drinkers (N = 1001), 83% met AUDIT-C criteria for hazardous drinking. Factors that were independently associated with hazardous drinking included: drug use in the past month, being a cigarette smoker, being a barmaid or dance hostess, alcohol use before or during sex with clients, and working in a city with a higher marginalization index.

Findings support the high prioritization by public health authorities of alcohol prevention and treatment programs for FSWs.

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By:  Semple SJ1, Pitpitan EV2, Chavarin CV1, Strathdee SA2, Zavala RI3, Aarons GA1, Patterson TL4.

• 1Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
• 2Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
• 3Evaluation and Research Department, Mexican Foundation for Family Planning (Mexfam), Juárez 208, Tlalpan, Mexico, D.F. 14000, Mexico.
• 4Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA tpatterson@ucsd.edu.
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