HIV Risk Among Asian Women Working at Massage Parlors in San Francisco

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to describe working conditions, health outcomes, social, and psychological factors related to HIV risk among Asian women who work at massage parlors in San Francisco. We conducted environmental mapping to identify communities and massage parlors where Asian women work as masseuses, and conducted survey interviews with 100 masseuses using venue-based snowball sampling. Difficult work conditions contributed to participants' HIV risk, including multiple sex customers each workday, long working hours, physical and verbal abuse from customers, economic pressures, and poor access to health care. Inconsistent condom use for vaginal sex with customers was positively associated with their fatalistic ideas and weak norms toward practicing safe sex with customers. Interventions should address cultural and occupational contexts in which Asian masseuses engage in sex work, and should focus on altering massage parlor policies and work environments.