Correlates of impulsivity among female sex workers in Mexico.
Shirley J Semple, Heather A Pines, Eileen V Pitpitan and 5 others
PMID 34427544WHAT IT FOUND
Among female sex workers in Mexico, higher self-reported impulsivity was linked to alcohol and drug use, client abuse, and depression, and to more unprotected sex with clients.
Key findings
01After adjusting for age, education, and sex work venue, higher impulsivity was positively associated with alcohol use, heavy drug use, drug use with clients, client sexual abuse, client physical abuse, and moderate to severe depression.
02Higher impulsivity was positively associated with the number of condom unprotected vaginal or anal sex acts with clients in the past month.
03In the sexual risk model, heavy drug use, higher alcohol use score, and ever being sexually abused by a client were positively associated with unprotected sex, while moderate to severe depression was negatively associated.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The women were a convenience sample, so the results may not apply to all female sex workers in Mexico or elsewhere. All measures were self-reported, so answers may be biased. The study used baseline data only, so it cannot show whether impulsivity caused the behaviours or the behaviours caused impulsivity. Only two of the three impulsivity dimensions were assessed, so other impulsive traits may matter. PTSD, dual diagnoses, and other personality traits were not measured, so their possible role is unknown.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest. The article is listed as supported by NIH extramural funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that impulsivity causes riskier sex or that screening and impulse control will reduce HIV/STI risk. The data were cross-sectional, self-reported, and from a convenience sample, so they show association, not causation.