Abstract
BACKGROUND: Although the Central African Republic (CAR) has adopted a National Strategy document to fight gender-based violence (GBV), the number of cases of sexual violence remains high year after year. Female Sex workers (FSW) are among the populations most vulnerable to GBV. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional analytical survey. Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS) is a peer recruitment method often used to create a sample from seeds. Risk factors for GBV were assessed using multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Age group under 20 is more affected by GBV and sexual exploitation. The main determinants associated with sexual violence among FSW were: age under 20 years: (aOR = 2.69 [1.93-3.28]; p = 0.001); regular alcohol consumption: (aOR = 2.58 [1.39-4.78]; p = 0.003); sex work is the main source of income: (aOR = 2.13 [1.94-3.08]; p = 0.001) and having a sexual partner (customer) military or police: (aOR = 3.57 [2.81-5.23]; p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Regular use of alcohol and having a military or police client were associated with a high probability of experiencing gender-based violence. The development of specific interventions to reduce these risks is crucial for the protection of the rights and physical integrity of this highly vulnerable segment of the population.