Drug users engaged in survival sex work are at heightened risk for drug- and sexual-related harms. We examined factors associated with survival sex work among street-involved youth in Vancouver, Canada. Using multiple logistic regression, we compared youth who reported exchanging sex for money, drugs etc.
The sample included youth: In subanalyses, the co-use of crack cocaine and methamphetamine was shown to be driving the association between methamphetamine and survival sex work.
This study demonstrates a positive interactive effect of dual stimulant use in elevating the odds of survival sex work among street youth who use drugs. Novel approaches to reduce the harms associated with survival sex work among street youth who use stimulants are needed. Street-involved youth in North American cities are vulnerable to an array of severe health-related harms, including elevated rates of substance use, mental illness, violence, blood-borne and sexually transmitted infections, and mortality.
In Canada, there are concerns that street youth are increasingly becoming engaged in survival sex work as a means to generate income. Although much attention has been given to adult drug users who exchange sex, and despite the emerging knowledge outlined above, much less is know about the characteristics and drug use patterns of street-involved youth engaged in survival sex work.
We therefore undertook this study to examine factors associated with survival sex work among street-involved youth in a Canadian setting. Briefly, participants were recruited through snowball sampling and extensive street-based outreach. Persons were eligible for the study if they were between 14 and 26 years of age, had used illicit drugs other than or in addition to marijuana in the past 30 days and provided informed consent.
