TY - JOUR

T1 - Sexual exploitation as a minor, violence, and HIV/STI risk among women trading sex in st. Petersburg and orenburg, Russia

AU - Urada, Lianne A.

AU - Rusakova, Maia

AU - Odinokova, Veronika

AU - Tsuyuki, Kiyomi

AU - Raj, Anita

AU - Silverman, Jay G.

N1 - Funding Information: Funding: The study was conducted through the efforts and financial support of NGO Stellit (Saint Petersburg), a non-governmental organization fighting against sexual exploitation of adults and children. Data analysis for this paper was also supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (K01 DA036439 Urada; K01AA025009 Tsuyuki). Publisher Copyright: © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2019/11/2

Y1 - 2019/11/2

N2 - Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a major risk factor for acquiring human immunodeficiency virus/sexually transmitted infections (HIV/STI), violence and other health concerns, yet few studies have examined these associations in Russia until now. This study examines the prevalence of CSE (those entering the sex trade as a minor) among women in the sex trade in Russia and how exposures and behaviors related to violence and HIV/STI structural risks differ from those who entered the sex trade as an adult. Women in the sex trade (N = 896) in St. Petersburg and Orenburg, Russia were recruited via time-location sampling and completed structured surveys. Adjusted logistic regression analyses assessed associations between CSE victimization and HIV risk-related exposures. Of the 654 participants who provided their age at first sexual exploitation, 11% reported CSE prior to age 18. Those who reported CSE were more likely to be organized by others and to be prohibited from leaving a room or house and from using condoms; three-quarters experienced rape when trading sex; a third were involved in pornography before age 18 and they had less education if they entered the sex trade as a minor. In adjusted analyses, those entering the sex trade as a minor were significantly more likely than those entering the sex trade as an adult to report drug use prior to age 18 (AOR = 5.75, 95%CI = 2.53–13.09) to have ≥5 clients/day (past 12 months; AOR = 3.55, 95%CI = 1.56–8.08), to report receiving police assistance (AOR: 3.10, 95% CI = 1.26–7.54), and to have fewer experiences of police extortion (AOR = 0.35, 95%CI = 0.10-1.24). They were four times more likely to participate in pornography before the age of 18 (AOR = 4.08, 95%CI = 1.32, 12.60) and three times more likely to have been sexually abused as child (AOR = 2.93, 95% CI = 1.27, 7.54). Overall, entry as a minor was related to greater risk for victimization and an inability to protect oneself from STI/HIV.

AB - Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a major risk factor for acquiring human immunodeficiency virus/sexually transmitted infections (HIV/STI), violence and other health concerns, yet few studies have examined these associations in Russia until now. This study examines the prevalence of CSE (those entering the sex trade as a minor) among women in the sex trade in Russia and how exposures and behaviors related to violence and HIV/STI structural risks differ from those who entered the sex trade as an adult. Women in the sex trade (N = 896) in St. Petersburg and Orenburg, Russia were recruited via time-location sampling and completed structured surveys. Adjusted logistic regression analyses assessed associations between CSE victimization and HIV risk-related exposures. Of the 654 participants who provided their age at first sexual exploitation, 11% reported CSE prior to age 18. Those who reported CSE were more likely to be organized by others and to be prohibited from leaving a room or house and from using condoms; three-quarters experienced rape when trading sex; a third were involved in pornography before age 18 and they had less education if they entered the sex trade as a minor. In adjusted analyses, those entering the sex trade as a minor were significantly more likely than those entering the sex trade as an adult to report drug use prior to age 18 (AOR = 5.75, 95%CI = 2.53–13.09) to have ≥5 clients/day (past 12 months; AOR = 3.55, 95%CI = 1.56–8.08), to report receiving police assistance (AOR: 3.10, 95% CI = 1.26–7.54), and to have fewer experiences of police extortion (AOR = 0.35, 95%CI = 0.10-1.24). They were four times more likely to participate in pornography before the age of 18 (AOR = 4.08, 95%CI = 1.32, 12.60) and three times more likely to have been sexually abused as child (AOR = 2.93, 95% CI = 1.27, 7.54). Overall, entry as a minor was related to greater risk for victimization and an inability to protect oneself from STI/HIV.

KW - Child sexual exploitation

KW - HIV

KW - Human trafficking

KW - Russia

KW - Sex trade

KW - Violence victimization

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85074672491&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/ijerph16224343

DO - 10.3390/ijerph16224343

M3 - Article

C2 - 31703331

AN - SCOPUS:85074672491

VL - 16

JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

SN - 1661-7827

IS - 22

M1 - 4343

ER -