Access to HIV Services for Mobile and Migrant Populations in Antigua

CSW Survey Discussion and Focus Group Report
CSW in Antigua
This section is based upon the mass of information received from the Survey
respondents. Participating were 114 females whose age ranged from 18 to 48 year old.
A FGD with English speaking SWs and also a small group discussion with Spanish
speaking SWs in the St. John’s Area. The countries of origin of the survey respondents
were primarily the Dominican Republic (73.63%), Jamaica (31%) and Guyana (6.5%).
62.2% said that they had completed secondary school. 68.4% speak Spanish only, while
others speak English only or Spanish and English. The Length of time in Antigua gives
an indication of their vulnerability. 34.2% of the respondents were here for more than two
years, and 35.8% between 6 months and 2 year. One of the English-speaking FGD
participants explained that she had just started sex work five months prior and said that
she is afraid because it is a difficult and somewhat dangerous profession.
Figure 17-
Most of the sex workers came to Antigua because of friends and not family (59.6%). The
majority of them live and work in or around the St. John’s area. 34.2% of the SWs had
between six and ten partners in the past month and 31.5% had 5 or less partners while
14.9% had between 11 and 15 partners. 9.6% had between 16 and 20 partners monthly
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