Table 1

Baseline characteristics stratified by accessing sex worker community services and accessing health services in the last 6 months among women sex workers (N=652) in Metro Vancouver, Canada (2014–2022)

Total (%)Accessed sex worker community services in the past 6 months (baseline)Accessed health services in the past 6 months (baseline)
Yes (%)No (%)P valueYes (%)No (%)P value
n=365n=286n=561n=89
Age (Median, IQR)39 (31–46)38 (31–46)39 (32–46)0.9739 (31–46)40 (31–45)0.45
Race<0.0010.077
 Asian*147 (22.6)121 (82.3)26 (17.7)118 (80.3)28 (19)
 Non-Asian racialised297 (45.6)109 (36.7)188 (63.3)258 (86.9)38 (12.8)
 White208 (31.9)135 (64.9)72 (34.6)185 (88.9)23 (11.1)
Sexual minority293 (44.9)182 (62.1)111 (37.9)0.3248 (84.6)45 (15.4)0.006
Primary place of sex work0.006<0.001
 Outdoor/public space166 (25.5)138 (83.1)28 (16.9)137 (82.5)29 (17.5)
 Informal indoor venue202 (30.9)141 (69.8)60 (29.7)178 (88.1)24 (11.9)
 Formal indoor venue127 (19.5)22 (17.3)105 (82.7)101 (79.5)25 (19.7)
 No sex work†144 (22)57 (39.6)87 (60.4)133 (92.4)10 6.9)
Any non-injection drug use0.09<0.001
 Yes306 (46.9)223 (72.9)83 (27.1)256 (83.4)50 (16.3)
Born in Canada491 (75.3)328 (66.8)162 (33)0.02432 (88)58 (11.8)<0.001
Time since migration to Canada0.006<0.001
 Non-migrant491 (75.3)328 (66.8)162 (33)432 (88)58 (11.8)
 Recent migrant (≤5 years)57 (8.7)5 (8.7)52 (91.3)41 (71.9)16 (28.1)
 Long-term migrant (>5 years)92 (14.1)28 (30.4)64 (69.6)78 (84.8)13 (14.1)
Graduated high school336 (51.5)154 (45.8)181 (53.9)0.11282 (83.9)53 (15.8)<0.001
Sex work as main income†435 (66.7)263 (60.5)171 (39.3)0.21369 (84.8)65 (14.9)0.001
Any unstable housing†519 (79.6)334 (64.4)184 (35.5)0.26451 (86.9)67 (12.9)<0.001
Limited English fluency66 (10.1)56 (84.8)10 (15.2)0.01 50 (75.8) 16 (24.2)<0.001
Data collected during COVID-1914 (2.2)11 (78.6)2 (14.3)0.7113 (92.9)1 (7.1)0.046
  • The total sums of cells may not always add up to 100% due to missing data. The two outcome variables, accessing sex worker community services and accessing health services contain 1 and 2 missing values, respectively; four independent variables, primary place of sex work, any non-injection drug use, time since migration to Canada and sex work as main income, contain 13, 3, 12 and 23 missing values, respectively.

  • *Of all Asian respondents, ~95% were of East Asian descent.

  • †In the last 6 months.