During the first year of the USAID Dialogue on HIV and TB Project, quantitative research surveys were conducted among sex workers in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Activities had not yet been lunched among SWs in Uzbekistan at the time of conducting this research. Using the TRaC research tool (see section on Monitoring and Evaluation for description of TRaC), the project developed a general profile of a SW in each country. Statistical data was used to develop the following table on social-demographic and behavioral information:

 

SW PROFILE: Results of Project Baseline TRaC Survey
	Kazakhstan	Kyrgyzstan	Tajikistan
Average Age	25.2 years	28.2 years	28.5 years
Single/never married Not married/cohabitating Married/cohabitating Widowed/divorced/separated	57.6% 13.1% 9.6% 19.7%	21.9% 3.5% 5.8% 68.8%	48.2% 13.3% 4.7% 33.7%
Nationality	35.9% Kazakh 30.6% Russian 11.4% Kyrgyz 10.2% Uzbek	40.6% Kyrgyz 38.6 Uzbek 35.9% Kazakh 12.2% Russian	90.9% Tajik 6.7% Uzbek
Has ever injected drugs	2.8%	8.7%	12.6%
Drank alcohol with last client	50.6%	50.4%	47.6%
Use a condom at last sex with a client	88.4%	86.0%	56.5%
Use a condom from start to finish with client at last sex	85.7%	84.2%	32.2%
Has been tested for HIV in the last 12 months and received results	73.1%	60.8%	40.8

 

Following the partner data analysis workshop, data collected during the TRaC process was used to develop an archetype, a “typical” member of the target population. Information was supplemented by in-debt interviews with members of the target population and outreach workers working closely with them. The following narrative profiles were developed:

 

Narrative Profile of a SW in Kazakhstan – Gulya

Gulya is a 25 year old Kazakh, unmarried woman and from a rural area with secondary education. Her only income comes from sex work. She works under a pimp in tough circumstances, usually out of hotels or apartments, sometimes in the street. A previous pimp has taken her documents so she frequently moves, renting apartments with other sex workers but changing if she changes pimps. Sometimes this means moving to another city. She goes back to her family once per year around New Years, taking money to her family, but never telling them what she does to make money. Gulya often sleeps until noon and starts working around 6pm, most of her clients come between 8pm and 2am and she averages four to sex clients per night. She usually drinks before starting work to relax. Gulya knows the risks of HIV transmission and is able to negotiate condom use with clients, although rarely uses condoms with regular partners. She has been tested for HIV and knows her status, but she doesn’t tell anyone.

 

Narrative Profile of a SW in Kyrgyzstan – Liana

Liana is a 22 year old, unmarried, ethnic Uzbek woman with secondary education living in the south of Kyrgyzstan. She has children from previous partners and lives with her current boyfriend who does not know that she is a sex worker. Liana works on the street or in saunas, and is usually managed by a gatekeeper who monitors her free time. She works from 6pm until morning with an average of three clients per night, sometimes as high as ten clients. Although Liana doesn’t usually drink during the day with her boyfriend or family, she does drink before and during work with clients to make work easier. Liana relies on her gatekeeper to provide condoms for the client. She does not use a condom with her boyfriend, and she is willing to have sex without a condom with a client if the client pays more. She has never had an HIV test but has an STI at least once per year. Her gatekeeper does not support Liana getting tested for HIV or STIs, nor participating in any HIV prevention programs.

 

Narrative Profile of a SW in Tajikistan – Madina

Madina is a 28 years old, Tajik divorced woman with several children. She comes from a rural area with only primary education. Her children live with her parents, and she lives with other sex workers together in an apartment. During the day she works as a waitress and tells her family that this is where her income comes from.  She worries that her family will find out about her sex work. Madina works on the streets, especially around bus stops, sometimes in nightclubs. She does not have a pimp but fears the police who will often demand money or free sex and beat her up if she refuses. She drinks before going to work and has an average of five to seven clients per night, sometimes as many as ten. Even though Madina knows the risk of HIV transmission when not using condoms, she will have sex without a condom if it means more money. She has some knowledge about STIs, and suspects she has had one in the past, but has never been tested. She knows some sex workers who have been tested for HIV, but they never share the results with each other and she has never been tested.