Table 1: Demographic and Behavioral Characteristicsa of Female Sex Workers in Kigali, Rwanda

HIV-Positive Cross-Sectional
Survey Participants
(N=192)
N (%)
HIV-Negative, Non-Enrolled
Survey Participants
(N=211)
N (%)
Prospective Cohort Participants
(N=397)
N (%)

Median age, in years (IQR)*** 27.0 (23-32) 25.0 (23-31) 24.0 (22-28)
 Age groups: *
 18-24 66 (34) 86 (41) 199 (50)
 25-29 52 (27) 63 (30) 116 (29)
 30-34 41 (21) 29 (14) 48 (12)
 ≥35 33 (17) 33 (16) 32 (8)

Education level: *
 No formal schooling 45 (23) 35 (17) 87 (22)
 Some primary school 77 (40) 97 (46) 158 (40)
 Completed primary school 48 (25) 46 (22) 111 (28)
 Secondary school (partial or completed) 22 (12) 31 (15) 41 (10)

Median weekly income in Rwandan francsb (IQR)*** 15,000 (8,000-23,000) 20,000 (12,000-33,000) 12,000 (7,000-20,000)

Currently using family planning method 179 (93) 191 (91) 362 (91)

Lifetime no. pregnancies
 None 14 (7) 14 (7) 28 (7)
 1 52 (27) 60 (29) 119 (30)
 2 52 (27) 57 (27) 113 (29)
 3 34 (18) 36 (17) 77 (19)
 ≥4 39 (20) 43 (21) 60 (15)

Currently breastfeeding* 40 (21) 95 (45) 219 (55)

Marital statusc:
 Married (legal or common-law marriage) 0 0 4 (1)
 Divorced/separated* 24 (13) 40 (19) 55 (14)
 Widowed 37 (19) 22 (10) 34 (9)
 Never married* 130 (68) 148 (70) 303 (76)
 Currently have steady partnerd, *** 62 (32) 92 (44) 122 (31)

At last sexc:
 Received money or gift from partner** 179 (93) 191 (91) 374 (94)
 Partner used a condom 138 (72) 151 (72) 296 (75)
 Used vaginal lubricant** 8 (4) 23 (11) 26 (7)
 Vaginal cleansing beforehand 100 (52) 76 (36) 172 (43)

No. vaginal sex acts in last month
 <20 31 (16) 32 (15) 73 (18)
 20-39 57 (30) 52 (25) 120 (30)
 40-59 42 (22) 54 (26) 81 (20)
 60-89 45 (23) 52 (25) 78 (20)
 ≥90 17 (9) 21 (10) 45 (11)

No. sex partners in last 3 months
 3-30 22 (12) 8 (4) 41 (10)
 31-59 25 (13) 28 (13) 68 (17)
 60-75 37 (19) 25 (12) 59 (15)
 76-120 34 (18) 48 (23) 81 (21)
 ≥121 74 (39) 102 (48) 146 (37)

No. clients per week in last month
 <5 32 (17) 31 (15) 87 (22)
 5-9 59 (31) 53 (25) 104 (26)
 10-15 52 (27) 66 (31) 110 (28)
 16-25 39 (20) 42 (20) 66 (17)
 >25 10 (5) 19 (9) 30 (8)

No. years working as sex worker*
 ≤1 43 (22) 45 (21) 89 (22)
 2 16 (8) 30 (14) 86 (22)
 3 44 (23) 36 (17) 77 (19)
 4-5 35 (18) 48 (23) 70 (18)
 ≥6 54 (28) 52 (25) 75 (19)

Ever had forced sex** 72 (38) 55 (26) 76 (19)

No. lifetime HIV tests (IQR)
 Never tested 97 (51) 72 (34) 119 (30)
 Once 64 (33) 81 (39) 137 (35)
 Twice 20 (10) 57 (27) 67 (17)
 3-5 times 9 (5) 0 60 (15)
 ≥6 times 2 (1) 0 13 (3)

HIV testing in the last 6 months 4 (2) 22 (11) 57 (15)

≥ 1 Genital symptome in past month 50 (26) 50 (24) 78 (20)

Sought treatment for STI symptom in last 3 months 34 (18) 22 (10) 32 (8)

Drink alcohol regularly
   Have sex with clients who have consumed alcohol
120 (63)
185 (97)
119 (56)
196 (93)
203 (51)
371 (94)

Ever imprisoned 89 (47) 77 (37) 150 (38)

Abbreviations: IQR = Inter-quartile range ; HIV = Human Immunodeficiency Virus; STI = Sexually transmitted infections.
* P < 0.05
** P < 0.01
*** P < 0.01 for comparisons between cohort participants and HIV-negative, non-enrolled survey participants.
a Sample sizes for different questions may vary slightly from N=800 based on missing responses.
b 1 US Dollar=approximately 555 Rwandan francs.
c Multiple responses allowed.
d A steady partner is a regular sex partner with whom the woman has sex more often than with other partner(s), but does not live with and is not married to.
e Includes: genital itching, burning, rash, pain; abnormal vaginal discharge, odor, or bleeding (non-menstrual); pain or difficulty urinating; genital ulcers, sores or blisters; pain during sex; acute lower abdominal pain; other genital symptoms.