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Harris MT, Weinberger E, O'Brien C, Althoff M, Paltrow-Krulwich S, Taylor JL, Judge A, Samet JH, Walley AY, Gunn CM. PrEP facilitators and barriers in substance use bridge clinics for women who engage in sex work and who use drugs. Addict Sci Clin Pract 2024; 19:47. [PMID: 38831359 PMCID: PMC11145858 DOI: 10.1186/s13722-024-00476-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women who engage in sex work and use drugs (WSWUD) experience disproportionate HIV risks. Substance use treatment bridge clinics offer an opportunity to increase HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) delivery to WSWUD, but research on best practices is lacking. Therefore, we explored facilitators and barriers to PrEP across the PrEP care continuum in these settings. METHODS Bridge clinic and affiliated harm reduction health service providers and WSWUD from Boston were recruited using passive and active outreach between December 2021 and August 2022. Participants were invited to take part in semi-structured phone or in-person interviews to explore HIV prevention and PrEP care experiences overall and within bridge clinic settings. Deductive codes were developed based on HIV risk environment frameworks and the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills model and inductive codes were added based on transcript review. Grounded content analysis was used to generate themes organized around the PrEP care continuum. RESULTS The sample included 14 providers and 25 WSWUD. Most WSWUD were aware of PrEP and more than half had initiated PrEP at some point. However, most who initiated PrEP did not report success with daily oral adherence. Providers and WSWUD described facilitators and barriers to PrEP across the steps of the care continuum: Awareness, uptake, adherence, and retention. Facilitators for WSWUD included non-stigmatizing communication with providers, rapid wraparound substance use treatment and HIV services, having a PrEP routine, and service structures to support PrEP adherence. Barriers included low HIV risk perceptions and competing drug use and survival priorities. Provider facilitators included clinical note templates prompting HIV risk assessments and training. Barriers included discomfort discussing sex work risks, competing clinical priorities, and a lack of PrEP adherence infrastructure. CONCLUSION WSWUD and bridge clinic providers favored integrated HIV prevention and substance use services in harm reduction and bridge clinic settings. Harm reduction and bridge clinic programs played a key role in HIV prevention and PrEP education for WSWUD. Effective behavioral and structural interventions are still needed to improve PrEP adherence for WSWUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Th Harris
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
- Grayken Center for Addiction, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
| | - Emma Weinberger
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Christine O'Brien
- Project Trust Boston Area Substance Abuse and Harm Reduction, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Mary Althoff
- AIDS Action Committee, Cambridge, MA, 02119, USA
| | - Samantha Paltrow-Krulwich
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jessica L Taylor
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- Grayken Center for Addiction, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Abigail Judge
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Jeffrey H Samet
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- Grayken Center for Addiction, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Alexander Y Walley
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- Grayken Center for Addiction, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Christine M Gunn
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA
- Department of Health Law, Policy, and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
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Byrne CJ, Sani F, Thain D, Fletcher EH, Malaguti A. Psychosocial factors associated with overdose subsequent to Illicit Drug use: a systematic review and narrative synthesis. Harm Reduct J 2024; 21:81. [PMID: 38622647 PMCID: PMC11017611 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-024-00999-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Psychological and social status, and environmental context, may mediate the likelihood of experiencing overdose subsequent to illicit drug use. The aim of this systematic review was to identify and synthesise psychosocial factors associated with overdose among people who use drugs. METHODS This review was registered on Prospero (CRD42021242495). Systematic record searches were undertaken in databases of peer-reviewed literature (Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and Cinahl) and grey literature sources (Google Scholar) for work published up to and including 14 February 2023. Reference lists of selected full-text papers were searched for additional records. Studies were eligible if they included people who use drugs with a focus on relationships between psychosocial factors and overdose subsequent to illicit drug use. Results were tabulated and narratively synthesised. RESULTS Twenty-six studies were included in the review, with 150,625 participants: of those 3,383-4072 (3%) experienced overdose. Twenty-one (81%) studies were conducted in North America and 23 (89%) reported polydrug use. Psychosocial factors associated with risk of overdose (n = 103) were identified and thematically organised into ten groups. These were: income; housing instability; incarceration; traumatic experiences; overdose risk perception and past experience; healthcare experiences; perception of own drug use and injecting skills; injecting setting; conditions with physical environment; and social network traits. CONCLUSIONS Global rates of overdose continue to increase, and many guidelines recommend psychosocial interventions for dependent drug use. The factors identified here provide useful targets for practitioners to focus on at the individual level, but many identified will require wider policy changes to affect positive change. Future research should seek to develop and trial interventions targeting factors identified, whilst advocacy for key policy reforms to reduce harm must continue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Byrne
- Division of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
- Directorate of Public Health, NHS Tayside, Kings Cross Hospital, Dundee, UK.
| | - Fabio Sani
- Division of Psychology, School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, University of Dundee, Scrymgeour Building, Dundee, UK
| | - Donna Thain
- Directorate of Public Health, NHS Tayside, Kings Cross Hospital, Dundee, UK
| | - Emma H Fletcher
- Directorate of Public Health, NHS Tayside, Kings Cross Hospital, Dundee, UK
| | - Amy Malaguti
- Division of Psychology, School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, University of Dundee, Scrymgeour Building, Dundee, UK
- Tayside Drug and Alcohol Recovery Psychology Service, NHS Tayside, Dundee, UK
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3
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Walker JG, Elmes J, Grenfell P, Eastham J, Hill K, Stuart R, Boily MC, Platt L, Vickerman P. The impact of policing and homelessness on violence experienced by women who sell sex in London: a modelling study. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8191. [PMID: 38589373 PMCID: PMC11002010 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44663-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Street-based sex workers experience considerable homelessness, drug use and police enforcement, making them vulnerable to violence from clients and other perpetrators. We used a deterministic compartmental model of street-based sex workers in London to estimate whether displacement by police and unstable housing/homelessness increases client violence. The model was parameterized and calibrated using data from a cohort study of sex workers, to the baseline percentage homeless (64%), experiencing recent client violence (72%), or recent displacement (78%), and the odds ratios of experiencing violence if homeless (1.97, 95% confidence interval 0.88-4.43) or displaced (4.79, 1.99-12.11), or of experiencing displacement if homeless (3.60, 1.59-8.17). Ending homelessness and police displacement reduces violence by 67% (95% credible interval 53-81%). The effects are non-linear; halving the rate of policing or becoming homeless reduces violence by 5.7% (3.5-10.3%) or 6.7% (3.7-10.2%), respectively. Modelled interventions have small impact with violence reducing by: 5.1% (2.1-11.4%) if the rate of becoming housed increases from 1.4 to 3.2 per person-year (Housing First initiative); 3.9% (2.4-6.9%) if the rate of policing reduces by 39% (level if recent increases had not occurred); and 10.2% (5.9-19.6%) in combination. Violence reduces by 26.5% (22.6-28.2%) if half of housed sex workers transition to indoor sex work. If homelessness decreased and policing increased as occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the impact on violence is negligible, decreasing by 0.7% (8.7% decrease-4.1% increase). Increasing housing and reducing policing among street-based sex workers could substantially reduce violence, but large changes are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine G Walker
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| | - Jocelyn Elmes
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Pippa Grenfell
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - Kathleen Hill
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry, UK
| | | | - Marie-Claude Boily
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Lucy Platt
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | - Peter Vickerman
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Behavioural Science and Evaluation, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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Beyrer C, Kamarulzaman A, Isbell M, Amon J, Baral S, Bassett MT, Cepeda J, Deacon H, Dean L, Fan L, Giacaman R, Gomes C, Gruskin S, Goyal R, Mon SHH, Jabbour S, Kazatchkine M, Kasoka K, Lyons C, Maleche A, Martin N, McKee M, Paiva V, Platt L, Puras D, Schooley R, Smoger G, Stackpool-Moore L, Vickerman P, Walker JG, Rubenstein L. Under threat: the International AIDS Society-Lancet Commission on Health and Human Rights. Lancet 2024; 403:1374-1418. [PMID: 38522449 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(24)00302-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Chris Beyrer
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | | | | | - Joseph Amon
- Office of Global Health, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Stefan Baral
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mary T Bassett
- François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Javier Cepeda
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Harriet Deacon
- Treatied Spaces Research Group and Centre of Excellence in Data Science, Artificial Intelligence and Modelling, University of Hull, Hull, UK
| | - Lorraine Dean
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Rita Giacaman
- Institute of Community and Public Health, Birzeit University, Birzeit, West Bank, Palestine
| | - Carolyn Gomes
- UNAIDS HIV & Human Rights Reference Group, Kingston, Jamaica
| | - Sofia Gruskin
- Institute on Inequalities in Global Health, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ravi Goyal
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Carrie Lyons
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Allan Maleche
- Kenya Legal & Ethical Issues Network on HIV and AIDS, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Natasha Martin
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Martin McKee
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Vera Paiva
- Institute of Psychology, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lucy Platt
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Dainius Puras
- Clinic of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Robert Schooley
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Leonard Rubenstein
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Vergara CI, Solymosi R. Correlates of Client-Perpetrated Violence Against Female Sex Workers in Bogotá. Violence Against Women 2024; 30:743-767. [PMID: 36482734 PMCID: PMC10854203 DOI: 10.1177/10778012221142919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
This paper aims to estimate the prevalence of client-perpetrated violence against female sex workers (FSWs) in Bogotá and to understand what structural and environmental factors are associated with such victimization. The project used secondary data from interviews with 2,684 FSWs. Multivariable binary logistic regression was used to test for associations with client-perpetrated violence. Findings reveal that factors such as experiencing police harassment and social stigma were positively associated with client-perpetrated violence. Situational factors such as providing services in motels, hotels, on the street, and in cars were also associated with increased odds of becoming a victim of violence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Reka Solymosi
- Department of Criminology, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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6
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Stenersen MR, Thomas K, McKee S. Police Harassment and Violence Against Transgender & Gender Diverse Sex Workers in the United States. JOURNAL OF HOMOSEXUALITY 2024; 71:828-840. [PMID: 36228168 DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2022.2132578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Sex workers continue to experience high rates of abuse and violence around the world. However, information regarding police-perpetrated harassment and violence against transgender and gender diverse (TGD) sex workers in the United States remains extremely limited. The current study is the first known examination of police interaction, harassment, and violence among TGD sex workers in the United States using a large nationwide dataset. Data from 23,372 TGD people were used. Results revealed that sex workers were more likely to experience police interaction, harassment, and violence compared to non-sex workers. Among sex workers with police interaction while doing sex work, 89.2% reported experiencing at least one type of harassment and/or violence. Regression analyses revealed that individuals with no reported income and trans women were more likely to experience multiple types of police harassment/violence. Taken together, TGD sex workers continue to experience alarming rates of interaction, harassment, and violence from police in the United States. Urgent, and effective intervention is needed to eliminate police harassment and violence toward TGD sex workers and provide support for TGD sex workers who survive this violence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline R Stenersen
- Department of Psychology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Kathryn Thomas
- Justice Collaboratory, Yale Law School & SEICHE Center for Health and Justice, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Sherry McKee
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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7
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Giang HT, Khue PM, Sterk CE, Evans DP, Miedema SS, Yount KM. Prevalence of violence victimisation and poly-victimisation among female sex workers in Haiphong, Viet Nam: A cross-sectional study. Glob Public Health 2024; 19:2308709. [PMID: 38295852 PMCID: PMC11246117 DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2024.2308709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
This cross-sectional study is the first to describe the prevalence of violence and poly-victimisation among 310 female sex workers (FSWs) who were cisgender in Haiphong, Viet Nam. An adapted version of the WHO-Multi-Country Study on Violence against Women Survey Instrument was administered to assess physical, sexual, economic and emotional forms of violence perpetrated by an intimate partner, paying partner/client, and/or others (e.g. relatives, police, strangers and other FSWs) during adulthood. The ACE-Q scale was administered to assess adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) before age 18 years. Our findings showed that FSWs are exposed to high rates of multiple forms of violence by multiple perpetrators. For any male client-perpetrated violence (CPV), lifetime prevalence was 70.0%, with 12-month prevalence 61.3%. Lifetime prevalence of male intimate partner violence (IPV) was 62.1%, and the 12-month prevalence was 58.2%. Lifetime and prior 12-month prevalence of physical and/or sexual violence by other perpetrators (OPV) was 18.1% and 14.2%, respectively. Sixty-five percent of FSWs reported at least one type of ACE. Overall, 21.6 percent of FSWs reported having experienced all three forms of violence (IPV, CPV and OPV) in their lifetime. Policy and programme recommendations for screening and prevention of violence are needed in this setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoang Thi Giang
- Haiphong University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Haiphong, Viet Nam
| | - Pham Minh Khue
- Haiphong University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Haiphong, Viet Nam
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8
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Kline NS, Webb NJ, Griner SB. Transgender Incarceration and Law Enforcement as a Source of Harm: Upstream and Primordial Prevention Perspectives. VIOLENCE AND VICTIMS 2023; 38:897-909. [PMID: 37989527 DOI: 10.1891/vv-2022-0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
In the United States (US), transgender individuals are more likely to experience violence and sexual assault in jails and prisons compared with cisgender peers. Harms of incarceration on transgender individuals include limited access to medical care and hormone therapy, as well as being housed in facilities based on biological sex instead of gender identity. However, there has been insufficient research on addressing factors that lead to transgender individuals being incarcerated in the first place. In this article, we argue the need to focus on law enforcement interactions with transgender individuals in the US to reduce incarceration-related harms. Using the perspectives of primordial prevention and focusing on upstream factors that create health-related harms, we assert that focusing on law enforcement is a necessary component in addressing how the criminal justice system harms transgender individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nolan S Kline
- University of North Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health, Fort Worth, TX, USA
- University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Nathaniel J Webb
- University of North Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Stacey B Griner
- University of North Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health, Fort Worth, TX, USA
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Hendrickson ZM, Tomko C, Galai N, Sisson LN, Glick JL, Sherman SG. A Longitudinal Analysis of Residential Mobility and Experience of Client Violence Among Women Who Exchange Sex in Baltimore. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2023; 38:11017-11045. [PMID: 37395208 DOI: 10.1177/08862605231178492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Residential mobility remains an underexplored yet critical construct that may influence the risk of violence among women who exchange sex. This study examined the longitudinal relationship between residential mobility and experience of client-perpetrated physical or sexual violence among women who exchange sex in Baltimore, Maryland. Participants were at least at 18 years of age, were cisgender women, reported having engaged in transactional sex three or more times within the last 3 months, and were willing to be contacted for 6-, 12-, and 18-month follow-up visits. Analyses of responses from 370 women who exchange sex participating in at least one study visit were conducted. Unadjusted and adjusted Poisson regression models of the association over time between residential mobility and recent experience of physical or sexual violence were fit. Generalized estimating equations with an exchangeable correlation structure and robust variance estimation were used to account for clustering of participants' responses over time. Findings demonstrated that those who had lived in at least four places in the past 6 months had a 39% increased risk of client-perpetrated physical violence (aRR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.07-1.80; p < .05) and a 63% increased risk of sexual violence (aRR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.14-2.32; p < .01) compared to their less-mobile counterparts. These findings provide necessary evidence of correlations over time between residential mobility and experience of client-perpetrated violence among women who exchange sex. Strengthening our understanding of how residential mobility intersects with violence is critical for the development of public health interventions that are relevant to women's lives and needs. Future interventions should explore including residential mobility, a critical pillar of housing instability, with efforts to address client-perpetrated violence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Catherine Tomko
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Noya Galai
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- University of Haifa, Mt Carmel, Haifa, Israel
| | | | - Jennifer L Glick
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Susan G Sherman
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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10
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Cooney EE, Footer KHA, Glick JL, Passaniti A, Howes M, Sherman SG. Understanding the social and structural context of oral PrEP delivery: an ethnography exploring barriers and facilitators impacting transgender women who engage in street-based sex work in Baltimore, Maryland. AIDS Res Ther 2023; 20:69. [PMID: 37730616 PMCID: PMC10510123 DOI: 10.1186/s12981-023-00556-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Transgender women who sell sex (TWSS) experience high rates of HIV acquisition. Antiretrovirals for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) represent an efficacious HIV prevention strategy. The social and structural factors affecting PrEP delivery amongst TWSS are underexplored in the literature. We conducted ethnographic research to examine how multilevel social and structural factors manifest in TWSS's lived experiences and affect PrEP delivery and use. Twenty-four transgender women were recruited from the SAPPHIRE cohort and completed interviews focused on barriers and facilitators to PrEP engagement in the context of street-based sex work. Stakeholder interviews (N = 7) were also conducted. Our findings suggest there are unique features of the risk environment that can collectively impede PrEP use among TWSS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Cooney
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA
| | - Katherine H A Footer
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA.
| | - Jennifer L Glick
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA
| | - Anna Passaniti
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA
| | - Meridian Howes
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA
| | - Susan G Sherman
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA
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11
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Martín-Romo L, Sanmartín FJ, Velasco J. Invisible and stigmatized: A systematic review of mental health and risk factors among sex workers. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2023; 148:255-264. [PMID: 37105542 DOI: 10.1111/acps.13559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Sex work is a common phenomenon, but socially invisible and stigmatized. Due to exposure to work-related risks, sex workers (SWs) are vulnerable to developing health problems. However, little attention has been paid to their mental health. The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesize the existing literature on mental health and to explore risk factors related to psychopathology in sex workers. METHODS A systematic review (CRD42021268990) was conducted on the Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and PsycInfo for peer reviewer papers published between 2010 and 2022. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to examine the quality of the studies. Of the 527 studies identified, 30 met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS Mental health problems were prevalent among sex workers. Depression was the most common mental health problem; however, other psychological problems were also high, including anxiety, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation. Sex workers are exposed to numerous work-related risks, including violence and high-risk sexual behaviors. Despite the high prevalence of mental health problems, SWs often encounter significant barriers to accessing healthcare services. CONCLUSION These results suggest the need to focus on preventive measures to promote psychological well-being among sex workers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francisco J Sanmartín
- Department of Psychology, University of Córdoba, Spain
- The Maimonides Institute for Biomedical Research of Cordoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Reina Sofía Hospital, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Judith Velasco
- Department of Psychology, University of Córdoba, Spain
- The Maimonides Institute for Biomedical Research of Cordoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Reina Sofía Hospital, Córdoba, Spain
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12
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Rosen JG, Toomre T, To C, Olatunde PF, Cooper L, Glick JL, Park JN. Communicative appeals and messaging frames in visual media for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis promotion to cisgender and transgender women. CULTURE, HEALTH & SEXUALITY 2023; 25:1007-1023. [PMID: 36074902 PMCID: PMC9992445 DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2022.2116111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Women in the USA represent 15% of new HIV diagnoses but only 5% of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) users. We sought to characterise communicative appeals and messaging frames used in US visual media to cultivate PrEP demand among cisgender and transgender women using content analysis methodology. We catalogued and coded media items (images and videos) from US PrEP marketing campaigns featuring women. Production and content characteristics were abstracted, and communicative appeals from media items were qualitatively coded in duplicate. We then descriptively summarised production and content characteristics and identified discrete subgroups of media items, clustering around specific messaging frames, through qualitative thematic analysis. Racial/ethnic minorities and sexual/gender minority women were heavily featured, and numerous media items leveraged cognitive and social communicative appeals to promote PrEP. We identified three unique messaging frames emerging from coded media items, portraying PrEP as: (1) necessary prevention (protection frame), (2) a desirable yet accessible commodity (aspiration frame), and (3) a conduit to sexual autonomy (empowerment frame). To effectively communicate PrEP information and promote PrEP to women, PrEP marketing should leverage alternative appeals (subjective norms, self-efficacy), address anticipated barriers to uptake (stigma, cost, medication interactions), and deconstruct misconceptions of PrEP use(rs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph G. Rosen
- Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Teagan Toomre
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - C To
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Praise F. Olatunde
- Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lyra Cooper
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer L. Glick
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ju Nyeong Park
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Center for Biomedical Research Excellence on Opioids and Overdose, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
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13
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Singer R, Abboud S, Johnson AK, Zemlak JL, Crooks N, Lee S, Wilson J, Gorvine D, Stamps J, Bruce D, Sherman SG, Matthews AK, Patil CL. Experiences of Sex Workers in Chicago during COVID-19: A Qualitative Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:5948. [PMID: 37297552 PMCID: PMC10252736 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20115948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 exacerbated health disparities, financial insecurity, and occupational safety for many within marginalized populations. This study, which took place between 2019 and 2022, aimed to explore the way in which sex workers (n = 36) in Chicago were impacted by COVID-19. We analyzed the transcripts of 36 individual interviews with a diverse group of sex workers using thematic analysis. Five general themes emerged regarding the detrimental impact of COVID-19 on sex workers: (1) the impact of COVID-19 on physical health; (2) the economic impact of COVID-19; (3) the impact of COVID-19 on safety; (4) the impact of COVID-19 on mental health; and (5) adaptive strategies for working during COVID-19. Participants reported that their physical and mental health, economic stability, and safety worsened due to COVID-19 and that adaptive strategies did not serve to improve working conditions. Findings highlight the ways in which sex workers are particularly vulnerable during a public health crisis, such as COVID-19. In response to these findings, targeted resources, an increased access to funding, community-empowered interventions and policy changes are needed to protect the health and safety of sex workers in Chicago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randi Singer
- Department of Human Development Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Sarah Abboud
- Department of Human Development Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Amy K. Johnson
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | | | - Natasha Crooks
- Department of Human Development Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Sangeun Lee
- Department of Human Development Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | | | - Della Gorvine
- Department of Human Development Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Jahari Stamps
- Southside Health Advocacy Resource Partnership, Chicago, IL 60653, USA
| | - Douglas Bruce
- Department of Health Sciences, DePaul University, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
| | | | | | - Crystal L. Patil
- Department of Human Development Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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14
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Xie Y, Xiong M, Qi Z, Shen J, Xu X, Luo X, Wang C, Tang W. Client-Perpetrated Violence Experience Among Female Sex Worker in Guangdong, South China: Results from a Cross-Sectional Study. AIDS Behav 2023; 27:806-815. [PMID: 36044124 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-022-03813-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Client-perpetrated violence (CPV) can lead to worse health consequences. However, little attention is paid to the CPV experience among Chinese female sex workers. Our study aimed to assess the association between CPV experience and health risk behaviors among FSWs in China. Data used in this study was from the baseline interviewer-administered questionnaire of a cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in June-October 2020. The collected information included sociodemographic characteristics, HIV/STI symptoms, number of clients, quality of the workplace, and past CPV experience. The association between violence experience and potential HIV/STI risk factors was explored using multivariable regression. Among 480 FSWs who participated in this study, 13.5% experienced CPV in the past. Compared to those who had never experienced CPV, FSWs who experienced CPV were more likely to report previous STI-related symptoms (aOR 4.29, 95% CI 1.73-10.64), more than 15 clients in the past month (aOR 2.56, 95% CI 1.18-5.52), a history of HIV testing (aOR 2.99, 95% CI 1.64-5.46), and work at low-tier workplaces (aOR 2.09, 95% CI 1.18-3.70). Overall, CPV prevalence is not low among Chinese FSWs, and there are some associations with HIV/STI risk factors; a future intervention targeting CPV in HIV/STI prevention programs is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yewei Xie
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.,University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Project-China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mingzhou Xiong
- Dermatology Hospital of South Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhidong Qi
- Yunfu Chronic Disease Prevention Center, Yunfu, China
| | - Jingwen Shen
- Maoming Chronic Disease Prevention Center, Maoming, China
| | - Xiaojuan Xu
- Yangjiang Public Health Hospital, Yangjiang, China
| | - Xinyi Luo
- Yingde Chronic Disease Control Hospital, Yingde, China
| | - Cheng Wang
- Dermatology Hospital of South Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Weiming Tang
- Dermatology Hospital of South Medical University, Guangzhou, China. .,Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 130 Mason Farm Road 7030, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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15
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Johnson L, Potter LC, Beeching H, Bradbury M, Matos B, Sumner G, Wills L, Worthing K, Aldridge RW, Feder G, Hayward AC, Pathak N, Platt L, Story A, Sultan B, Luchenski SA. Interventions to improve health and the determinants of health among sex workers in high-income countries: a systematic review. Lancet Public Health 2023; 8:e141-e154. [PMID: 36334613 PMCID: PMC10564624 DOI: 10.1016/s2468-2667(22)00252-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Many sex worker populations face high morbidity and mortality, but data are scarce on interventions to improve their health. We did a systematic review of health and social interventions to improve the health and wider determinants of health among adult sex workers in high-income countries. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EthOS, OpenGrey, and Social Care Online, as well as the Global Network of Sex Work Projects and the Sex Work Research Hub for studies published between Jan 1, 2005 and Dec 16, 2021 (PROSPERO CRD42019158674). Quantitative studies reporting disaggregated data for sex workers were included and no comparators were specified. We assessed rigour using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. We summarised studies using vote counting and a narrative synthesis. 20 studies were included. Most reported findings exclusively for female sex workers (n=17) and street-based sex workers (n=11). Intervention components were divided into education and empowerment (n=14), drug treatment (n=4), sexual and reproductive health care (n=7), other health care (n=5), and welfare (n=5). Interventions affected a range of mental health, physical health, and health behaviour outcomes. Multicomponent interventions and interventions that were focused on education and empowerment were of benefit. Interventions that used peer design and peer delivery were effective. An outreach or drop-in component might be beneficial in some contexts. Sex workers who were new to working in an area faced greater challenges accessing services. Data were scarce for male, transgender, and indoor-based sex workers. Co-designed and co-delivered interventions that are either multicomponent or focus on education and empowerment are likely to be effective. Policy makers and health-care providers should improve access to services for all genders of sex workers and those new to an area. Future research should develop interventions for a greater diversity of sex worker populations and for wider health and social needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Johnson
- Department of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK; Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Lucy C Potter
- Centre for Academic Primary Care, Department of Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Molly Bradbury
- Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Bella Matos
- Department of Psychology, The American University of Paris, Paris, France
| | - Grace Sumner
- Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lorna Wills
- Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Kitty Worthing
- Centre for Primary Care and Public Health, Queen Mary University, London, UK
| | - Robert W Aldridge
- Centre for Public Health Data Science, Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, UK
| | - Gene Feder
- Centre for Academic Primary Care, Department of Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Andrew C Hayward
- Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Neha Pathak
- Centre for Public Health Data Science, Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, UK; Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Lucy Platt
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Al Story
- Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK; Find & Treat, University College London Hospital, London, UK
| | - Binta Sultan
- Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK; Find & Treat, University College London Hospital, London, UK
| | - Serena A Luchenski
- Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK
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16
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TOMKO C, MUSCI RJ, KAUFMAN MR, UNDERWOOD CR, DECKER MR, SHERMAN SG. Mental health and HIV risk differs by co-occurring structural vulnerabilities among women who sell sex. AIDS Care 2023; 35:205-214. [PMID: 36102030 PMCID: PMC10011022 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2022.2121374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Female sex workers (FSW) experience many structural vulnerabilities (SV; e.g., violence, economic insecurity) which contribute to increased risk of HIV and mental distress. However, little research has examined how SV co-occur to shape HIV risk, and none have studied mental distress. Among FSW (n = 385) in Baltimore, Maryland, latent class analysis of five binary indicators (housing insecurity; financial dependence on others; client-perpetrated physical or sexual violence; food insecurity) determined classes of SV and differential HIV risk behavior and mental health outcomes. A 3-class model fit the data best: minimal SV (i.e., low probabilities of all indicators); material needs (i.e., housing, food insecurity); and high SV (i.e., high probability of all indicators). Compared to minimal SV, high SV and material needs had significantly greater adjusted probability of drug injection and poorer adjusted depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and mental distress scores. The high SV class had significantly higher probability of reporting condomless sex with clients compared to material needs and minimal SV. Results show the deleterious effect of co-occurring SV on HIV risk behaviors among FSW with particular emphasis on co-occurring food and housing insecurities. This is the first study of co-occurring SV on mental health outcomes in this key population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine TOMKO
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Rashelle J. MUSCI
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Michelle R. KAUFMAN
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Carol R. UNDERWOOD
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Michele R. DECKER
- Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Susan G. SHERMAN
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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17
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Nestadt DF, Schneider KE, Tomko C, Sherman SG. Criminalization and coercion: sexual encounters with police among a longitudinal cohort of women who exchange sex in Baltimore, Maryland. Harm Reduct J 2023; 20:11. [PMID: 36707897 PMCID: PMC9881257 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-023-00738-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The criminalization of sex work and drug use creates unequal power dynamics easily exploited by police. Women who exchange sex (WES) in settings around the globe have reported coerced sex and sexual assault by police, and some have reported police as paying clients. Little research has examined nuances underlying WES's sexual interactions with police. METHODS A cohort of cisgender WES (N = 308) was recruited through targeted sampling in Baltimore, Maryland and completed a structured survey every 6 months for 18 months. Follow-up surveys included detailed questions about recent sexual encounters with police. In bivariate and multivariate models using generalized estimating equations to account for intra-person correlation, we examined correlates of reporting recent sex with police over time. RESULTS One-third reported recent sex with police at any study visit. At each time point, about 90% of women who reported sex with police reported any uniformed or non-uniformed police had paid for sex. Between 72 and 85% had been solicited for paid sex by uniformed police. Between 41 and 50% of women who reported recent sex with police indicated they had done so because they feared arrest otherwise; one-third were directly pressured for sex by police to avoid arrest or trouble. In the final adjusted model, severe food insecurity [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.05; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.13-3.71], Black race (vs. white, non-Hispanic; aOR = 1.90; 95% CI 1.13-3.17), recent arrest (aOR = 1.51; 95% CI 1.01-2.27), nonfatal overdose (aOR = 1.94; 95% CI 1.24-3.01), and client- or non-paying intimate partner-perpetrated violence (aOR = 2.46; 95% CI 1.63-3.71) were significantly independently associated with recent sex with police. CONCLUSIONS Sexual encounters between WES and police in Baltimore are common and often coerced to avoid arrest in a setting where both drug use and sex work are criminalized. Recent sex with police was more prevalent among WES who were racially marginalized, highly structurally vulnerable, and/or at high risk for drug overdose-and therefore subject to the dual-criminalization of sex work and drug use. This indicates deep power imbalances and their exploitation by police as the root of such sexual encounters and adds to the evidence regarding the need for decriminalization to support the health and wellbeing of WES.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Friedman Nestadt
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Kristin E. Schneider
- grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Catherine Tomko
- grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Susan G. Sherman
- grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD USA
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18
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Tomko C, Clouse E, Haney K, Galai N, Footer K, Ferryman K, Smith KC, Sherman SG. A study protocol to explore and implement community-based point-of-care COVID-19 testing for women who use drugs in Baltimore, Maryland: The CARE study. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0277605. [PMID: 36542613 PMCID: PMC9770432 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Women who use drugs (WWUD) experience structural vulnerabilities (e.g., housing, food insecurities) and comorbidities that elevate their susceptibility to more severe COVID-19 symptoms or fatality compared to similarly-aged women who do not use illicit drugs. Testing is a cornerstone of effective COVID prevention, however, entrenched barriers to healthcare utilization means that WWUD may have diminished accessing to COVID testing. The CARE (COVID Action Research Engagement) study first examines predisposing and enabling factors that predict COVID testing uptake over six months (baseline, 3-, and 6-month follow-up) among a cohort of WWUD (N = 250) in Baltimore, Maryland, providing a nuanced and holistic understanding of how to meaningfully engage WWUD in COVID testing. Then, point-of-care COVID testing will be implemented on a mobile outreach van affiliated with a local community-based organization primarily serving WWUD; anonymous surveys of mobile outreach guests (N = 100) will assess feasibility and acceptability of this integrated testing. The study is grounded in the Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations and the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability. We hypothesize that point-of-care COVID testing integrated into a low-barrier harm reduction service, such as a mobile outreach program, will be an enabling environment for COVID testing uptake in part by reducing structural impediments to testing and will be highly feasible and acceptable to participants. Strengths, limitations, and plans for results dissemination are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Tomko
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Emily Clouse
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Katherine Haney
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Noya Galai
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Katherine Footer
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Kadija Ferryman
- Berman Institute of Bioethics, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Katherine Clegg Smith
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Susan G. Sherman
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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19
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Platt L, Bowen R, Grenfell P, Stuart R, Sarker MD, Hill K, Walker J, Javarez X, Henham C, Mtetwa S, Hargreaves J, Boily MC, Vickerman P, Hernandez P, Elmes J. The Effect of Systemic Racism and Homophobia on Police Enforcement and Sexual and Emotional Violence among Sex Workers in East London: Findings from a Cohort Study. J Urban Health 2022; 99:1127-1140. [PMID: 36222972 PMCID: PMC9727011 DOI: 10.1007/s11524-022-00673-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
There is extensive qualitative evidence of violence and enforcement impacting sex workers who are ethnically or racially minoritized, and gender or sexual minority sex workers, but there is little quantitative evidence. Baseline and follow-up data were collected among 288 sex workers of diverse genders (cis/transgender women and men and non-binary people) in London (2018-2019). Interviewer-administered and self-completed questionnaires included reports of rape, emotional violence, and (un)lawful police encounters. We used generalized estimating equation models (Stata vs 16.1) to measure associations between (i) ethnic/racial identity (Black, Asian, mixed or multiple vs White) and recent (6 months) or past police enforcement and (ii) ethnic/racial and sexual identity (lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) vs. heterosexual) with recent rape and emotional violence (there was insufficient data to examine the association with transgender/non-binary identities). Ethnically/racially minoritized sex workers (26.4%) reported more police encounters partly due to increased representation in street settings (51.4% vs 30.7% off-street, p = 0.002). After accounting for street setting, ethnically/racially minoritized sex workers had higher odds of recent arrest (adjusted odds ratio 2.8, 95% CI 1.3-5.8), past imprisonment (aOR 2.3, 95% CI 1.1-5.0), police extortion (aOR 3.3, 95% CI 1.4-7.8), and rape (aOR 3.6, 95% CI 1.1-11.5). LGB-identifying sex workers (55.4%) were more vulnerable to rape (aOR 2.4, 95% CI 1.1-5.2) and emotional violence. Sex workers identifying as ethnically/racially minoritized (aOR 2.1, 95% CI 1.0-4.5), LGB (aOR 2.0, 95% CI 1.0-4.0), or who use drugs (aOR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1-3.8) were more likely to have experienced emotional violence than white-identifying, heterosexual or those who did not use drugs. Experience of any recent police enforcement was associated with increased odds of rape (aOR 3.6, 95% CI 1.3-8.4) and emotional violence (aOR 4.9, 95% CI 1.8-13.0). Findings show how police enforcement disproportionately targets ethnically/racially minoritized sex workers and contributes to increased risk of rape and emotional violence, which is elevated among sexual and ethnically/racially minoritized workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Platt
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | | | - Pippa Grenfell
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Rachel Stuart
- College of Business, Arts and Social Sciences, Brunel University, London, UK
| | - M D Sarker
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Kathleen Hill
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry, UK
| | - Josephine Walker
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Xavier Javarez
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Carolyn Henham
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - James Hargreaves
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - M-C Boily
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Peter Vickerman
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Paz Hernandez
- Open Doors, Homerton University Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Jocelyn Elmes
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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20
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Schneider KE, Tomko C, Nestadt DF, Rouhani S, White RH, Decker MR, Galai N, Sherman SG. Understanding the longitudinal relationship between substance use and violent victimization among street-based women who exchange sex in Baltimore, Maryland. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2022; 109:103824. [PMID: 35985083 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women who exchange sex (WES) experience extensive interpersonal violence from multiple perpetrators. Violence towards WES contributes to poor mental and behavioral health outcomes, including high rates of drug use. However, it is difficult to disentangle the temporal relationship between drug use and violence among WES. METHODS We used data from 251 WES, who completed baseline and 6-month follow up surveys. WES reported baseline sociodemographic characteristics, including homelessness and hunger. Participants reported their drug use by type and violent experiences by perpetrator at each time point. We conducted a path analysis examining the associations between drug use and violent victimization over time. RESULTS Participants were on average 37.8 years old, non-Hispanic White (57.4%) and experiencing high levels of structural vulnerability (59.4% homelessness; 58.6% weekly hunger). Drug use and violence were significantly correlated within each time point. Prospectively, baseline violent victimization was significantly associated with drug use (ß (SE) = 0.13 (0.06)) and violence (ß (SE) = 0.47 (0.05)) at follow up. Baseline drug use was associated with drug use at follow up (ß (SE) = 0.45 (0.05)) but was not significantly associated with violence at follow up (ß (SE) = 0.10 (0.06)). CONCLUSIONS Violence and drug use are closely linked in this population; and violence appears to facilitate sustained drug use. Interventions to address the dual epidemics of violence and substance use in this population should address underlying trauma as well as socio-structural drivers of violence as well as tailored harm reduction services for this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin E Schneider
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Catherine Tomko
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Danielle Friedman Nestadt
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Saba Rouhani
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Rebecca Hamilton White
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Michele R Decker
- Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Noya Galai
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Statistics, University of Haifa, Mt Carmel, Israel
| | - Susan G Sherman
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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21
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Elmes J, Stuart R, Grenfell P, Walker J, Hill K, Hernandez P, Henham C, Rutsito S, Sarker MD, Creighton S, Browne C, Boily MC, Vickerman P, Platt L. Effect of police enforcement and extreme social inequalities on violence and mental health among women who sell sex: findings from a cohort study in London, UK. Sex Transm Infect 2022; 98:323-331. [PMID: 34702782 PMCID: PMC9340007 DOI: 10.1136/sextrans-2021-055088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine legal and social determinants of violence, anxiety/depression among sex workers. METHODS A participatory prospective cohort study among women (inclusive of transgender) ≥18 years, selling sex in the last 3 months in London between 2018 and 2019. We used logistic generalised estimating equation models to measure associations between structural factors on recent (6 months) violence from clients or others (local residents, strangers), depression/anxiety (Patient Health Questionnaire-4). RESULTS 197 sex workers were recruited (96% cisgender-women; 46% street-based; 54% off-street) and 60% completed a follow-up questionnaire. Street-based sex workers experienced greater inequalities compared with off-street in relation to recent violence from clients (73% vs 36%); police (42% vs 7%); intimate partner violence (IPV) (56% vs 18%) and others (67% vs 17%), as well as homelessness (65% vs 7%) and recent law enforcement (87% vs 9%). Prevalence of any STI was 17.5% (17/97). For street-based sex workers, recent arrest was associated with violence from others (adjusted OR (aOR) 2.77; 95% CI 1.11 to 6.94) and displacement by police was associated with client violence (aOR 4.35; 95% CI 1.36 to 13.90). Financial difficulties were also associated with client violence (aOR 4.66; 95% CI 1.64 to 13.24). Disability (aOR 3.85; 95% CI 1.49 to 9.95) and client violence (aOR 2.55; 95% CI 1.10 to 5.91) were associated with anxiety/depression. For off-street sex workers, financial difficulties (aOR 3.66; 95% CI 1.64 to 8.18), unstable residency (aOR 3.19; 95% CI 1.36 to 7.49), IPV (aOR 3.77; 95% CI 1.30 to 11.00) and alcohol/drug use were associated with client violence (aOR 3.16; 95% CI 1.26 to 7.92), while always screening and refusing clients was protective (aOR 0.36; 95% CI 0.15 to 0.87). Disability (aOR 5.83; 95% CI 2.34 to 14.51), unmet mental health needs (aOR 3.08; 95% CI 1.15 to 8.23) and past eviction (aOR 3.99; 95% CI 1.23 to 12.92) were associated with anxiety/depression. CONCLUSIONS Violence, anxiety/depression are linked to poverty, unstable housing and police enforcement. We need to modify laws to allow sex workers to work safely and increase availability of housing and mental health services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn Elmes
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - Pippa Grenfell
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | | | | | - Carolyn Henham
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - M D Sarker
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | | | | | | | - Lucy Platt
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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22
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Rosen JG, Park JN, Schneider KE, White RH, Beckham SW, Glick JL, Footer KHA, Sherman SG. Mapping Interests in Event-Driven and Long-Acting Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Formulations onto the HIV Risk Environment of Street-Based Female Sex Workers: A Latent Class Analysis. AIDS Behav 2022; 26:1992-2002. [PMID: 35362908 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-022-03613-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Despite growing availability, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake and adherence remains suboptimal among female sex workers (FSW) in the United States. Using cross-sectional data from a survey of 236 street-based cisgender FSW in Baltimore, Maryland, we examined interest in event-driven and long-acting PrEP formulations. Latent class analysis identified discrete patterns of interest in five novel PrEP agents. Multinomial latent class regression then examined factors associated with probabilistic class membership. A three-class solution emerged as the best-fit latent class model: Injectable Acceptors (~ 24% of sample), Universal Acceptors (~ 18%), and Non-Acceptors (~ 58%). Compared to Non-Acceptors, Universal Acceptors had significantly (p < 0.05) higher odds of reporting condomless vaginal sex with clients, client condom coercion, and client-perpetrated physical violence. Relative to Non-Acceptors, Injectable Acceptors were distinguished by significantly higher rates of condomless vaginal sex with clients and injection drug use. Expanding PrEP options for FSW could help overcome barriers to PrEP initiation and persistence.
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23
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Nestadt DF, Tomko C, Schneider KE, Kerrigan D, Decker MR, Sherman SG. Co-occurring Threats to Agency Among Female Sex Workers in Baltimore, Maryland. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2022; 37:NP8818-NP8843. [PMID: 33300442 PMCID: PMC9136478 DOI: 10.1177/0886260520978188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Driven largely by the unequal distribution of power, female sex workers (FSW) globally bear a disproportionately high burden of HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and interpersonal violence. Prior literature has identified a number of multi-level factors that may serve to constrain FSWs' agency, or their ability to define and take action to realize goals. Among these are work-based violence and substance use, which are potentiated by the criminalization of sex work and structural vulnerability. Quantitative research related to U.S.-based FSWs' own sense of agency, as well as the barriers that may impede it, is sparse. We sought to identify patterns of various threats to agency and explore to what extent they were associated with perceived agency among a cohort of 381 FSW in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, using latent class analysis. Latent class indictors were past-six-month experience of client-perpetrated sexual violence, client-perpetrated physical violence, homelessness, food insecurity, arrest, daily crack-cocaine use, and daily heroin use. Perceived agency was measured using the short form of the Pearlin Mastery Scale. We identified three typologies of threatened agency among women in our sample: a "threatened by structural factors, drug use, and violence" class, a "threatened by structural factors and drug use" class, and a "less threatened" class. Mean perceived agency score was significantly lower for the class characterized by client-perpetrated violence than for either of the other classes. This suggests violence, in the context of deeper, structural power imbalances embedded in hunger, homelessness, and drug use, may dramatically reduce one's sense of agency and operate as a critical barrier to empowerment. Our study adds important insights to the broader FSW community empowerment literature and supports the need for interventions to bolster both individual and collective agency among U.S.-based FSW, including interventions to prevent sex work-related violence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Catherine Tomko
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | - Susan G. Sherman
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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24
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Ikuteyijo OO, Akinyemi AI, Merten S. Exposure to job-related violence among young female sex workers in urban slums of Southwest Nigeria. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1021. [PMID: 35597935 PMCID: PMC9123769 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13440-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In Nigeria, many young girls are engaged in commercial sex work as a means of livelihood and support of dependent relatives. Although studies have documented some of the violence related issues among commercial sex workers, the plight of adolescent and young sex workers particularly in urban slums may be different in context and depth. Objective This study explored the lived experiences of violence and health related harm among vulnerable young female sex workers in urban slums in Ibadan and Lagos, Southwest Nigeria. It also analyzed their coping strategies and survival mechanisms. Design The study is cross-sectional and applied an interpretive phenomenological approach to this qualitative study through in-depth interviews. Participants Young female sex workers ages (15–24 years) who reported having experienced violence were recruited for the study. Twelve participants completed the interviews out the 20 initially contacted. Data collection and analysis Primary data were collected using in-depth interviews (IDIs). Data were transcribed using a phenomenological framework analysis. Participants’ reports based on life experiences were identified: lived experience “daily brothel life experience”; sources of violence such as law enforcement agents’ intermittent raids; violence experience with clients who often demanded sexual acts beyond the agreed scope; and coping strategies employed to mitigate the challenges. Settings The study was conducted in brothels of two selected slum areas in Ibadan and Lagos, Southwest Nigeria. Results The results showed that the major motivation for engaging in commercial sex work was for economic reasons. However, there are inherent risks involved particularly for the vulnerable young people. Stigmatization from the community, clients’ uncontrolled-aggressive behavior and harassment from law enforcement agents are some of the frequent violence experiences reported. Self-help coping strategies are usually employed to prevent or mitigate the challenges. Conclusion The plight of this young people required policy and program attention towards alternative economic empowerment to rehabilitate those willing to leave the profession. Also the need to develop arm reduction interventions towards protection of young sex workers against violence. Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13440-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olutoyin Opeyemi Ikuteyijo
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, Kreuzstrasse 2, Allschwil, 4123, Basel, Switzerland. .,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Akanni Ibukun Akinyemi
- Department of Demography and Social Statistics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria
| | - Sonja Merten
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, Kreuzstrasse 2, Allschwil, 4123, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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25
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Logie CH, Sokolovic N, Kazemi M, Smith S, Islam S, Lee M, Gormley R, Kaida A, de Pokomandy A, Loutfy M. Recent sex work and associations with psychosocial outcomes among women living with HIV: findings from a longitudinal Canadian cohort study. J Int AIDS Soc 2022; 25:e25874. [PMID: 35318817 PMCID: PMC8940985 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.25874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Sex workers are disproportionately impacted by the HIV pandemic across global contexts, in part due to social and structural contexts of stigma and criminalization. Among women living with HIV, there is a dearth of longitudinal information regarding dynamics of sex work engagement and associated social and health outcomes. In order to better understand the social contexts and health needs of sex working women living with HIV, this study aimed to understand recent sex work prevalence and its longitudinal associations with stigma, psychosocial and clinical HIV outcomes among women living with HIV in Canada. METHODS We conducted a three-wave prospective cohort survey at 18-month intervals with women living with HIV aged 16 and older in three Canadian provinces between 2013 and 2018. We used generalized estimating equations to examine longitudinal associations between recent (past 6-month) sex work with three types of outcomes: psychosocial (recent violence, recent injection drug use, hazardous alcohol use, clinical depression and post-traumatic stress disorder), clinical HIV (CD4 count and viral load) and stigma (HIV-related stigma, racial discrimination and gender discrimination). Equations were adjusted for socio-demographic factors associated with sex work across all three waves: province, age, income, gender identity, sexual orientation, education level, ethnicity and housing security. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Of 1422 participants, 129 (9.1%) reported recent sex work during at least one wave (82 at baseline, 73 at first follow-up and 32 at second follow-up). In adjusted analyses, recent sex work was associated with psychosocial outcomes, including: past 3-month violence (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.47, 95% CI = 1.70, 3.60), past 6-month injection drug use (AOR = 3.49, 95% CI = 2.21-5.52), hazardous alcohol use (AOR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.04-3.89) and depression (AOR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.06-2.15). In unadjusted analyses, sex work was also associated with clinical HIV outcomes and gender discrimination, but not racial discrimination/HIV-related stigma. CONCLUSIONS Among women living with HIV in Canada, sex work engagement is dynamic, and sex workers are more likely to report recent violence, recent injection drug use, problematic alcohol use and clinical depression. Violence prevention and support, harm reduction, mental health promotion and sex work-affirming programs could be employed to optimize health and rights for sex working women living with HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen H Logie
- Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada and United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Nina Sokolovic
- Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada and United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Mina Kazemi
- Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stephanie Smith
- Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shaz Islam
- Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Melanie Lee
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Rebecca Gormley
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.,BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Angela Kaida
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Alexandra de Pokomandy
- Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Chronic Viral Illness Service, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mona Loutfy
- Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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26
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McBride B, Shannon K, Pearson J, Krüsi A, Braschel M, Goldenberg SM. Seeing pre-screened, regular clients associated with lower odds of workplace sexual violence and condom refusal amidst sex work criminalization: findings of a community-based cohort of sex workers in Metro Vancouver, Canada (2010-2019). BMC Public Health 2022; 22:519. [PMID: 35296270 PMCID: PMC8928629 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-12903-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Research that accurately represents how characteristics of sex work clients relate to sex workers’ labour conditions is crucial for informing evidence-based legislation which upholds sex workers’ human rights. As little quantitative research has examined how seeing regulars (repeat clients) impacts sex workers’ occupational safety, particularly under ‘end-demand’ criminalization in Canada, our study aimed to explore how seeing mostly regulars shapes workplace sexual violence and client condom refusal. Methods We drew on longitudinal data from a community-based open cohort of 900+ sex workers in Vancouver, recruited via time-location sampling during day and late-night outreach to indoor, outdoor, and online solicitation spaces. We used logistic regression analyses and multivariable GEE confounder models to 1) describe correlates of seeing mostly pre-screened, regular clients, 2) identify associations between seeing mostly regulars and odds of experiencing occupational outcomes of workplace sexual violence and client condom refusal, and 3) examine the interaction between seeing mostly regulars and work environment on workplace sexual violence and client condom refusal. Results Participants’ median age was 35, and 55.6% had completed high school. Over the 9-year study (n=925), 20.9% (193) experienced 282 events of workplace sexual violence and 40.2% (372) faced 702 events of client condom refusal. In multivariable GEE confounder models, seeing mostly regulars was associated with reduced odds of sexual violence (AOR 0.73, 95%CI 0.53-1.02, p=0.067) and client condom refusal (AOR 0.70, 95%CI 0.57-0.86). In multivariable GEE confounder models examining the additive interaction between seeing mostly regulars and work environment, participants who saw mostly regulars and primarily worked in outdoor or informal indoor venues faced significantly lower odds of experiencing workplace sexual violence (AOR 0.69, 95%CI 0.49-0.95) and client condom refusal (AOR 0.64, 95%CI 0.52 -0.80) relative to those who worked in the same venues and did not see mostly regulars. Conclusion Our findings highlight protective effects of seeing pre-screened regulars within a criminalized setting. Removal of ‘end-demand’ client criminalization is needed to enable sex workers to effectively screen clients, support HIV/STI prevention, and advance sex workers’ human rights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bronwyn McBride
- Centre for Gender & Sexual Health Equity, c/o St. Paul's Hospital, 1081 Burrard St, Vancouver, BC, V6Z1Y6, Canada
| | - Kate Shannon
- Centre for Gender & Sexual Health Equity, c/o St. Paul's Hospital, 1081 Burrard St, Vancouver, BC, V6Z1Y6, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 317-2194 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Jennie Pearson
- Centre for Gender & Sexual Health Equity, c/o St. Paul's Hospital, 1081 Burrard St, Vancouver, BC, V6Z1Y6, Canada
| | - Andrea Krüsi
- Centre for Gender & Sexual Health Equity, c/o St. Paul's Hospital, 1081 Burrard St, Vancouver, BC, V6Z1Y6, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 317-2194 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Melissa Braschel
- Centre for Gender & Sexual Health Equity, c/o St. Paul's Hospital, 1081 Burrard St, Vancouver, BC, V6Z1Y6, Canada
| | - Shira M Goldenberg
- Centre for Gender & Sexual Health Equity, c/o St. Paul's Hospital, 1081 Burrard St, Vancouver, BC, V6Z1Y6, Canada. .,Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A1S6, Canada. .,Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, Hardy Tower - Room 119, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182-4162, USA.
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27
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Sherman SG, Tomko C, Silberzahn BE, White RH, Nestadt DF, Clouse E, Haney K, Galai N. The role of local business employees and community members in the HIV risk environment of female sex workers in an urban setting: associations between negative interactions and inconsistent condom use. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:2265. [PMID: 34895195 PMCID: PMC8666055 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-12293-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The role of business employees and community members in the HIV risk environment of female sex workers (FSW) is underexplored, despite sex work often located in commercial and residential urban areas. We explored the effect of negative interactions between business employees and community members on inconsistent condom use with clients of female sex workers. Methods This study uses baseline data from the EMERALD study, a community empowerment intervention with FSW. We recruited a sample of 361 FSW in Baltimore, Maryland using targeted sampling techniques in ten zones characterized by high rates of sex work, located throughout the city. Participants were recruited between September 2017 and January 2019 and completed a survey, HIV rapid testing, and self-administered gonorrhea and chlamydia testing. The outcome, inconsistent condom use, was defined as not reporting “always” using condoms with paying clients. Poisson regressions with robust variance were used to model the effect of business employee and/or community member interactions on inconsistent condom use. Results Over half (54%) the sample was between 18 and 40 years old, 44% Black or another race, and experienced a range of structural vulnerabilities such as housing instability and food insecurity. Forty-four percent of the sample reported inconsistent condom use with clients. FSW reported being reported to the police weekly or daily for selling drugs (14% by employees, 17% by community), for selling sex (19% by employees, 21% by community), and experiencing weekly or daily verbal or physical threats (18% by employees, 24% by community). In multivariable models, being reported to the police for selling sex weekly or daily by community members (vs. never, aRR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.08, 1.86) and business owners (vs. never, aRR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.05, 1.76) increased risk of inconsistent condom use, as did monthly verbal or physical threats by community members (vs. never, aRR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.08, 1.91). Conclusions Results show that both actors play important roles in FSWs’ HIV risk environment. Businesses and community members are important targets for holistic HIV prevention interventions among FSW in communities where they coexist in close proximity. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-12293-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan G Sherman
- Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway St., Hampton House 180, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
| | - Catherine Tomko
- Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway St., Hampton House 180, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Bradley E Silberzahn
- Sociology, The University of Texas at Austin, 305 E 23rd St, A1700, RLP 3.306, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Rebecca Hamilton White
- Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway St., Hampton House 180, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Danielle Friedman Nestadt
- Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway St., Hampton House 180, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Emily Clouse
- Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway St., Hampton House 180, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Katherine Haney
- Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway St., Hampton House 180, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Noya Galai
- Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
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28
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Park JN, Decker MR, Bass JK, Galai N, Tomko C, Jain KM, Footer KHA, Sherman SG. Cumulative Violence and PTSD Symptom Severity Among Urban Street-Based Female Sex Workers. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2021; 36:10383-10404. [PMID: 31679445 PMCID: PMC7195245 DOI: 10.1177/0886260519884694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Female sex workers (FSW) are a marginalized and vulnerable population at high risk of gender-based violence within and outside of their occupation. However, FSW remain underrepresented in the trauma and mental health literature. The aims of this study were to (a) characterize exposure to violence among street-based FSW, including violence type, patterns over the life course, and key perpetrator groups, and (b) examine the multivariate associations between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity and two constructs (revictimization across life stages and cumulative violence). Data were drawn from the Sex Workers and Police Promoting Health in Risky Environments (SAPPHIRE) study, an observational community-based cohort of street-based FSW recruited through targeted sampling across Baltimore, Maryland (USA) in 2016 to 2017. PTSD symptom severity was measured using the PTSD Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition (PCL-5). At baseline, 61% of FSW screened positive for PTSD symptoms. The mean PCL-5 score was 38.6. We documented extensive histories of sexual and physical violence (lifetime: 81.8%; childhood and adult revictimization: 15.0% for sexual and 37.7% for physical). The vast majority of perpetrators were male and included paying clients, police officers, family members, and intimate partners. Exposure to childhood and adult sexual violence were independently associated with higher PTSD severity (p < .05), with marginal associations observed for physical violence. Data supported a cumulative violence model of PTSD severity (p < .05). Binge drinking also appeared to be a contributing factor (p < .05). The levels of PTSD observed among our sample were comparable with that reported among treatment-seeking war veterans. Our findings underscore the urgent need for tailored trauma-informed interventions and policies to address violence among urban street-based FSW, a population experiencing extremely high levels of violence, PTSD, and substance use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju Nyeong Park
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michele R Decker
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Judith K Bass
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Noya Galai
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Catherine Tomko
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kriti M Jain
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Susan G Sherman
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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29
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Chien J, Schneider KE, Tomko C, Galai N, Lim S, Sherman SG. Patterns of Sex Work Client Solicitation Settings and Associations with HIV/STI Risk Among a Cohort of Female Sex Workers in Baltimore, Maryland. AIDS Behav 2021; 25:3386-3397. [PMID: 33974166 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-021-03293-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Female sex workers' (FSWs) risk for HIV/STIs is influenced by their work environments. While previous research has characterized vulnerability in a single workplace, many FSWs solicit clients from multiple settings. Using latent class analysis (LCA), we examined client solicitation patterns and associated HIV/STI-related behaviors (consistent condom use with clients, asking clients about HIV/STIs, and past 6-month HIV/STI testing) among 385 FSWs in Baltimore, Maryland. The LCA yielded a three-class solution: predominantly street (61.2%), mixed street/venue (23.7%), and multisource (street, venue, and online) (15.1%). Consistent condom use differed significantly (p < 0.01) by class, with the mixed street/venue having the lowest (40.6%) rate and the multisource having the highest (70.6%). Classes differed on HIV/STI testing (p < 0.01), with the predominantly street class having the lowest testing rate (56.2%) and multisource with the highest (85.7%). These findings underscore the importance of considering how solicitation patterns are linked to HIV/STI susceptibility of FSWs and adapting interventions accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie Chien
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N Broadway Street, Hampton House Suite 749, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
| | - Kristin E Schneider
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Catherine Tomko
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N Broadway Street, Hampton House Suite 749, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Noya Galai
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Statistics, University of Haifa, Mt Carmel, Israel
| | - Sahnah Lim
- Department of Population Health, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Susan G Sherman
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N Broadway Street, Hampton House Suite 749, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
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30
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Sherman SG, Tomko C, White RH, Nestadt DF, Silberzahn BE, Clouse E, Haney K, Galai N. Structural and Environmental Influences Increase the Risk of Sexually Transmitted Infection in a Sample of Female Sex Workers. Sex Transm Dis 2021; 48:648-653. [PMID: 33633073 PMCID: PMC8360669 DOI: 10.1097/olq.0000000000001400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Female sex workers (FSWs) have elevated rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV, yet few studies in the United States have characterized the STI burden in this population. METHODS Data were derived from the EMERALD study, a structural community-based intervention with FSWs in Baltimore, MD. Participants (n = 385) were recruited through targeted sampling on a mobile van. Prevalent positive chlamydia or gonorrhea infections were determined by biological samples. Multivariable logistic regressions modeled correlates of confirmed positive STI (gonorrhea or chlamydia). RESULTS Confirmed STI positive prevalence was 28%, 15% chlamydia and 18% gonorrhea. Approximately two-thirds of the sample (64%) was younger than 40 years, one-third (36%) were Black, and 10% entered sex work in the past year. The sample was characterized by high levels of structural vulnerabilities (e.g., housing instability and food insecurity) and illicit substance use. Female sex workers were more likely to have a positive STI if they had financial dependent(s) (P = 0.04), experienced food insecurity at least weekly (P = 0.01), entered sex work in the past year (P = 0.002), and had 6 or more clients in the past week (P = 0.01). Female sex workers were less likely to have a positive STI test result if they were 40 years or older compared with FSW 18 to 29 years old (P = 0.02), and marginally (P = 0.08) less likely with high (vs. low) social cohesion. CONCLUSIONS More than a quarter of FSWs had confirmed chlamydia or gonorrhea. In addition to STI risks at the individual level, STIs are driven by structural vulnerabilities. Results point to a number of salient factors to be targeted in STI prevention among FSWs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan G. Sherman
- From the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Catherine Tomko
- From the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Rebecca Hamilton White
- From the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Danielle Friedman Nestadt
- From the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | | | - Emily Clouse
- From the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Katherine Haney
- From the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Noya Galai
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
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Nestadt DF, Park JN, Galai N, Beckham SW, Decker MR, Zemlak J, Sherman SG. Sex workers as mothers: Correlates of engagement in sex work to support children. GLOBAL SOCIAL WELFARE : RESEARCH, POLICY & PRACTICE 2021; 8:251-261. [PMID: 36935888 PMCID: PMC10019358 DOI: 10.1007/s40609-021-00213-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Globally, most female sex workers (FSW) are mothers but are rarely considered as such in public health and social service programs and research. We aimed to quantitatively describe FSW who are mothers and to examine correlates of current engagement in sex work to support children among a cohort of FSW in Baltimore, Maryland, United States (U.S.). METHODS The study utilized baseline survey and HIV/STI testing data from the Sex workers And Police Promoting Health In Risky Environments (SAPPHIRE) study of women engaged in street-based sex work in Baltimore, Maryland. Variable selection and interpretation were guided by Connell's theory of Gender and Power. We used bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to examine correlates of engagement in sex work to support children among FSW mothers. RESULTS Our sample included 214 FSW with children, of whom 27% reported supporting children as a reason for the current engagement in sex work. Median age was 36 years, and mean number of children was 2.88. 20.6% were currently living with any of their minor aged children, and this was significantly more common among mothers engaged in sex work to support children (57.9% vs. 7%; p<0.001). 38.7% had ever lost legal custody of children, which was significantly less common among those supporting children through sex work (26.8% vs. 42.9%; p=0.033). In multivariate analyses, the following were independently associated with engaging in sex work to support children: African-American versus white race (aOR=2.62; 95% CI:1.18-5.82; p=0.018); less housing instability (aOR=0.42; 95% CI:0.20-0.89; p=0.024); initiating sex work at age <23 (aOR=2.59; 95% CI:1.23-5.46; p=0.012); less frequent intoxication during sex with clients (aOR=0.31; 95% CI:0.14-0.67; p=0.003); and reporting mental health as most important health concern (aOR=2.37; 95% CI:1.09-5.17; p=0.029). CONCLUSIONS FSW mothers who report engagement in sex work to support children are distinct from their counterparts in key areas related to HIV and other health outcomes. Neglecting to account for this important social role may lead to missed opportunities to meaningfully promote physical and mental health and to engage women on their own terms. Future research and interventions should seek to address FSW as whole social beings and center their experiences and needs as mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Friedman Nestadt
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ju Nyeong Park
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Noya Galai
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Statistics, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Israel
| | - S. W. Beckham
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michele R. Decker
- Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jessica Zemlak
- Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Susan G. Sherman
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Schneider KE, Tomko C, Nestadt DF, Silberzahn BE, White RH, Sherman SG. Conceptualizing overdose trauma: The relationships between experiencing and witnessing overdoses with PTSD symptoms among street-recruited female sex workers in Baltimore, Maryland. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2021; 92:102859. [PMID: 32712164 PMCID: PMC7854789 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The opioid crisis has rendered witnessing and experiencing overdoses a common occurrence, especially among marginalized and drug using populations, including female sex workers (FSW). Such exposures may confer psychological trauma that has gone unrecognized. We explored relationships between experiencing and witnessing overdoses and PTSD symptomology to understand the traumatic nature of these experiences. METHODS Data were from FSW (N = 380) in Baltimore City, Maryland, who reported whether they had witnessed/experienced any overdoses in the past 6 months ("overdose traumas") and PTSD symptoms (PCL-5). We tested for associations between overdose traumas and PTSD diagnoses/symptomology in bivariate logistic regression models and multivariate models, adjusting for sociodemographic, experiences of violence, and drug use characteristics. RESULTS In our sample, 35.3% witnessed a fatal overdose, 51.9% witnessed a non-fatal overdose, and 28.3% experienced an overdose in the past 6 months. More than half (52.4%) met criteria for PTSD. Most endorsed symptoms within each PTSD domain: 63.2% for intrusive, 58.4% for avoidance, 66.1% for cognition/mood, and 64.7% for arousal/reactivity symptoms. Experiencing an overdose was associated with meeting PTSD criteria and symptoms in all domains in bivariate models. Witnessing an overdose was associated with PTSD diagnoses and intrusive and arousal/reactivity symptoms in bivariate models. Adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and drug use, experiencing an overdose was associated with intrusive and cognition/mood symptoms, while neither trauma remained associated with PTSD diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS Traumas related to overdose, coined "overdose traumas" appear to be extremely psychologically traumatic, though the relationships vary by type and symptom. Programs should be cognizant of psychological trauma to address the full spectrum of overdose harms. Existing measures of PTSD do not accurately represent the effects of overdose traumas in populations like FSW due to the structural barriers to avoiding locations/situations where overdoses may occur and the overlap between symptoms, drug effects, and adaptive responses to homelessness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin E Schneider
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Catherine Tomko
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Danielle Friedman Nestadt
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Bradley E Silberzahn
- Department of Sociology, The University of Texas at Austin, 305 E. 23rd St., Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Rebecca Hamilton White
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Susan G Sherman
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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Silberzahn BE, Tomko CA, Clouse E, Haney K, Allen ST, Galai N, Footer KHA, Sherman SG. The EMERALD (Enabling Mobilization, Empowerment, Risk Reduction, and Lasting Dignity) Study: Protocol for the Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Community-Based Combination HIV Prevention Intervention for Female Sex Workers in Baltimore, Maryland. JMIR Res Protoc 2021; 10:e23412. [PMID: 33861210 PMCID: PMC8087969 DOI: 10.2196/23412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cisgender female sex workers (FSWs) experience high rates of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including chlamydia and gonorrhea. Community empowerment–based responses to the risk environment of FSWs have been associated with significant reductions in HIV and STI risk and associated risk behaviors; however, evaluations of US-based interventions targeting FSWs are limited. Objective The objective of this study is to describe the design, implementation, and planned evaluation strategy of an ongoing comprehensive community-level intervention in Baltimore City, Maryland, which aims to improve HIV and STI risk and cumulative incidence among FSWs. The two intervention components are the SPARC (Sex Workers Promoting Action, Risk Reduction, and Community Mobilization) drop-in center and the accompanying comprehensive mobile outreach program. The mission of SPARC is to provide low-barrier harm reduction services to FSWs, with a special focus on women who sell sex and use drugs. Services are provided through a harm reduction framework and include reproductive health and sexual health care; medication-assisted treatment; legal aid; counseling; showers, lockers, and laundry; and the distribution of harm reduction tools, including naloxone and sterile drug use supplies (eg, cookers, cotton, syringes, and pipes). Methods The SPARC intervention is being evaluated through the EMERALD (Enabling Mobilization, Empowerment, Risk Reduction, and Lasting Dignity) study, which consists of a prospective 2-group comparative nonrandomized trial (n=385), a cross-sectional survey (n=100), and in-depth interviews assessing SPARC implementation (n=45). Participants enrolled in the nonrandomized trial completed a survey and HIV and STI testing at 4 intervals (baseline and 6, 12, and 18 months). Participants recruited from predefined areas closest to SPARC comprised the intervention group, and participants from all other areas of Baltimore were included in the control group. Results We hypothesize that addressing structural drivers and more immediate medical needs, in combination with peer outreach, will improve the HIV and STI risk environment, leading to community empowerment, and reduce the HIV and STI cumulative incidence and behavioral risks of FSWs. Data collection is ongoing. A baseline description of the cohort is presented. Conclusions In the United States, structural interventions aimed at reducing HIV and STIs among FSWs are scarce; to our knowledge, this is the first intervention of its kind in the United States. The results of the EMERALD study can be used to inform the development of future interventions targeting FSWs and other at-risk populations. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04413591; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04413591. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/23412
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley E Silberzahn
- Department of Sociology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Catherine A Tomko
- Department of Health, Behavior & Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Emily Clouse
- Department of Health, Behavior & Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Katherine Haney
- Department of Health, Behavior & Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Sean T Allen
- Department of Health, Behavior & Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Noya Galai
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Katherine H A Footer
- Department of Health, Behavior & Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Susan G Sherman
- Department of Health, Behavior & Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Logie CH, Wang Y, Lalor P, Williams D, Levermore K. Pre and Post-exposure Prophylaxis Awareness and Acceptability Among Sex Workers in Jamaica: A Cross-Sectional Study. AIDS Behav 2021; 25:330-343. [PMID: 32666244 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-020-02972-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The HIV prevention cascade is understudied among sex workers in Jamaica, where sex work and same sex practices are criminalized. We implemented a cross-sectional survey with cisgender women, transgender women, and cisgender men sex workers in Jamaica. We conducted multivariable logistic regression analyses to identify factors associated with PrEP and PEP awareness and acceptability. Participants (n = 340) included cisgender men (n = 124), transgender women (n = 101), and cisgender women (n = 115). PEP awareness was low (33.2%), yet acceptability was high (70.8%). In multivariable analyses, recent sexual violence, recent client violence, and sex work social cohesion were associated with PEP awareness and acceptability. One-third (32.7%) reported PrEP awareness, with high acceptability (80.2%). Relationship status and recent physical violence were associated with PrEP awareness and acceptability. In multivariable analyses, gender identity was not associated with differences in PEP/PrEP awareness/acceptability. Findings highlight the need to increase PEP and PrEP awareness and access among sex workers in Jamaica.
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Sherman SG, Nestadt DF, Silberzahn BE, Decker M, Park JN, Footer KH. The Role of Sexually Transmitted Infections in Police as Clients Among Street-Based Female Sex Workers in Baltimore City. Sex Transm Dis 2021; 48:12-18. [PMID: 33315782 PMCID: PMC7737865 DOI: 10.1097/olq.0000000000001292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research among street-based female sex workers (FSWs) has documented many harms caused by police. One harm that has received little attention is that of police as clients. We examined this interaction in a 12-month longitudinal cohort study of street-based FSWs in Baltimore, MD. METHODS We explored longitudinal bivariate and multivariate associations between having police clients and independent variables that focused on sexually transmitted infections (STIs), as well as demographic, structural, substance use, police interaction, and violence-related factors. RESULTS Mean participant age was 35.8 years, 65.9% were White, and more than half (53.3%) had less than a high school education. Most (70.3%) used heroin daily, and 24.8% reported having police as clients over the study period. In a multivariate model, factors independently associated with recent police clients were recent arrest (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-2.99; P = 0.037), coerced or forced sex by police (aOR, 4.47; 95% CI, 1.79-11.12; P = 0.001), higher number of egregious police practices experienced (aOR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.38-2.29; P < 0.001), and prevalent STI infection (aOR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.46-4.04; P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The study uniquely documents both the frequency with which street-based FSWs take police as clients and the role of egregious police practices and prevalent STIs in association with police as clients. Results indicate the police-as-client association as a form of "everyday violence," which both normalizes and legitimizes police power and structural violence. Alongside the urgent need for decriminalization of sex work and STI prevention programs tailored for this complex population, prompt investigation and harsher penalties for police officers who engage in sex with FSW could help shift police culture away from abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Michele Decker
- Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
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Pelaez D, Weicker NP, Glick J, Mesenburg JV, Wilson A, Kirkpatrick H, Clouse E, Sherman SG. The PEARL study: a prospective two-group pilot PrEP promotion intervention for cisgender female sex workers living in Baltimore, MD, U.S. AIDS Care 2021; 33:1-10. [PMID: 33627006 PMCID: PMC7983056 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2021.1889954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
HIV remains elevated among female sex workers (FSW) globally, with a number of structural (e.g., poverty, access to care) factors driving these persistently high rates. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a user-controlled prevention method, is a promising means of empowering vulnerable populations to protect themselves and enhance agency. Yet there is a dearth of PrEP research and interventions targeting cisgender women in the United States, and even fewer aimed to reach FSW. We developed and implemented a multifaceted PrEP pilot intervention, the Promoting Empowerment And Risk Reduction (PEARL) study, to meet this gap. This paper describes the development process and nature of a community-informed intervention for tenofovir/emticitrabine (TDF/FTC) pre-exposure prophylaxis engagement among street-based cisgender FSW in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. In the course of the study's implementation, structural, programmatic, and medical barriers have already posed significant barriers to full engagement. PEARL implemented a number of strategies in an effort to counter barriers and facilitate increased success of PrEP uptake and maintenance. The study will provide critical insights into the nature of intervention components that could help FSW to initiate PrEP and reduce PrEP care cascade gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Pelaez
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - N P Weicker
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - J Glick
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - J V Mesenburg
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Baltimore City Health Department, Division of Population Health and Disease Prevention, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - A Wilson
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - H Kirkpatrick
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - E Clouse
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - S G Sherman
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Logie CH, White RH, Galai N, Tomko C, Sherman SG. Brief Report: Longitudinal Associations Between Place of Sex Work and Client Condom Coercion Among Sex Workers in Baltimore, Maryland. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2020; 85:579-583. [PMID: 32925362 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000002494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The sex work environment influences sex workers' control over enforcing condom use. Sex work in outdoor and public spaces, compared with indoor spaces, may inhibit condom negotiation. We examined longitudinal associations between public place of sex work and condom coercion among female sex workers. METHODS This cohort study involved 5 data collection points over 1 year among female sex workers (N = 246) in Baltimore, Maryland, recruited by targeted sampling. We conducted bivariate analyses to examine associations between currently conducting any sex work in a public place (PPSW, eg, car, abandoned house, street, park/forest, and public bathroom) vs. exclusively indoor sex work (eg, house, motel, and dance club) with sociodemographic, substance use (eg, injection drug use, crack use), and past 3-month condom coercion (eg, client condom refusal/removal). We used logistic regressions with generalized estimating equations and exchangeable correlation structure to examine longitudinal associations between PPSW and subsequent condom coercion, adjusting for sociodemographic and substance use variables. FINDINGS Among participants (race/ethnicity: White: 67.5%; Black/African American: 22.8%; Latina/other ethnicity: n = 9.8%; age range: 18-61), most reported daily injection drug use (58.5%), daily crack use (62.2%), and homelessness (62.2%). Most (88.6%) reported any PPSW at baseline. Current PPSW was associated with increased odds of past 3-month condom coercion (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.85, 95% confidence interval: 1.16 to 2.94, P = 0.01) compared with indoor sex work, as was daily crack use (aOR 1.67, 95% confidence interval: 1.18 to 2.37). CONCLUSIONS Public sex work environments were associated with client condom coercion and confer additional sexual health risks in contexts of illegality. Interventions should address risk disparities in social geographies of sex work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen H Logie
- Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rebecca H White
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Noya Galai
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD; and
- Department of Statistics, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Catherine Tomko
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Susan G Sherman
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD; and
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Mbote DK, Nyblade L, Kemunto C, Giger K, Kimani J, Mingkwan P, Njuguna S, Oga E, Kraemer JD. Police Discrimination, Misconduct, and Stigmatization of Female Sex Workers in Kenya: Associations with Delayed and Avoided Health Care Utilization and Lower Consistent Condom Use. Health Hum Rights 2020; 22:199-212. [PMID: 33390707 PMCID: PMC7762893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Discrimination and violence against sex workers by police are common in many populations and are associated with negative health outcomes, as well as being per se violations of human rights laws and norms. There is a close and mutually reinforcing nexus between legally actionable rights violations and stigma, and reducing human rights violations against sex workers likely requires both legal and societal interventions that address both. In this paper, we first aim to estimate levels of discrimination, violence, and stigma against women sex workers by police in Kenya. Second, we aim to estimate the association between manifestations of discrimination and stigma, on the one hand, and general health care utilization and consistent condom use, on the other. Using data from a survey of Kenyan sex workers, we document widespread discrimination and stigma. Through regression analyses, participants with the highest levels of all three categories of manifestations of discrimination and stigma reported significant lower consistent condom use. Those with the highest levels of witnessed/heard manifestations were significantly more likely to delay or avoid needed health care, and the highest level of experienced manifestations were associated with a marginally significant increase in delay or avoidance. Our findings document a plethora of violations of human rights obligations under Kenyan and international law.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Kuria Mbote
- Independent researcher and Director at the Kuria Foundation for Social Enterprise, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Laura Nyblade
- Fellow and Senior Technical Advisor, Stigma and Discrimination, RTI International, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Kayla Giger
- Public Health Analyst at RTI International, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Joshua Kimani
- Clinical Director at Partners for Health and Development in Africa and Lecturer at the Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Pia Mingkwan
- Research Associate at RTI International, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Stella Njuguna
- Research Officer at the Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Emmanuel Oga
- Senior Epidemiologist at RTI International, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - John D. Kraemer
- Associate Professor in the Department of Health Systems Administration at Georgetown University and Visiting Scholar at RTI International, Washington, DC, USA
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Sinko L, Bulgin D, Fauer AJ, Aronowitz SV. Nursing work is justice work: Rethinking justice and promoting healing in survivors of gender‐based violence. Public Health Nurs 2020; 37:631-636. [DOI: 10.1111/phn.12791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Sinko
- National Clinician Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PA USA
| | | | - Alex J. Fauer
- National Clinician Scholar at University of California Los Angeles CA USA
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White RH, Park JN, Galai N, Decker MR, Allen ST, Footer KHA, Sherman SG. Short-term interruptions to sex work among a prospective cohort of street-based cisgender female sex workers in Baltimore. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2020; 84:102858. [PMID: 32726687 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Street-based female sex workers (FSW) often cycle in and out of sex work engagement. For many FSW, substance use plays a critical role in sex work entry, continuation, and interruptions. We examined individual, interpersonal, and structural correlates of short-term interruptions of sex work among street-based FSW in an urban environment. METHODS Data were from 205 FSW in Baltimore, MD, USA followed as part of an observational prospective cohort study between April 2016-Februrary 2018. The primary outcome was short-term interruptions of sex work (stopping sex work) over the past 3 months, asked every 3 months over a 12-month follow-up. We assessed the relationship between individual, structural, and interpersonal factors for each woman's prior visit and current visit with short-term sex work interruptions. We employed modified Poisson regression with Generalized Estimating Equations to identify correlates of short-term interruptions of sex work. RESULTS Eighty-two women (40%) reported stopping sex work over the past 3 months at least once during follow-up. Past drug treatment (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR] 1.40; 95% CI: 1.06-1.86) and not having used drugs in the past 3 months (aIRR 2.70; 95% CI: 1.96-3.71) were positively associated with short-term interruption to sex work. Past intimate partner violence (IPV) (aIRR 0.52; 95% CI: 0.31-0.86) and current homelessness (aIRR 0.61; 95% CI: 0.41-0.91) were negatively associated with short-term interruption. Results were inconclusive for the association between recent prostitution arrest and short-term interruptions to sex work (IRR 0.86; 95% CI: 0.40-1.86). CONCLUSION The study suggests that similar to other professions, women leave sex work for numerous reasons. Substance use cessation and participation in drug treatment programs may contribute to short-term interruptions of sex work by reducing reliance on sex work for income among street-based FSW. Structural vulnerabilities including homelessness and IPV are driving continued street-based sex work, speaking to the need for holistic structural interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Hamilton White
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 624 N. Broadway, Hampton House 180B, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Ju Nyeong Park
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 624 N. Broadway, Hampton House 180B, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Noya Galai
- Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Room E6608, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Statistics, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khushi Street, Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel.
| | - Michele R Decker
- Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Room E4142, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Sean T Allen
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 624 N. Broadway, Hampton House 180B, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Katherine H A Footer
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 624 N. Broadway, Hampton House 180B, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Susan G Sherman
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 624 N. Broadway, Hampton House 180B, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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Incidence and Predictors of Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Trichomonas Among a Prospective Cohort of Cisgender Female Sex Workers in Baltimore, Maryland. Sex Transm Dis 2020; 46:788-794. [PMID: 31688720 DOI: 10.1097/olq.0000000000001085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cisgender female sex workers (CFSWs) have elevated rates of sexually transmitted infections (STI) yet are underrepresented in targeted programming and research in the United States. We examined the prevalence, incidence and predictors of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomonas infection among CFSW. METHODS Two hundred fifty street-based CFSWs were recruited into a prospective observational cohort in Baltimore, Maryland using targeted sampling in 2016 to 2017 and completed surveys and STI testing at baseline, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to model the predictors of STI. RESULTS Mean age was 36 years, and 66.5% of respondents were white. Baseline prevalence of chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomonas was 10.5%, 12.6%, and 48.5%, respectively. The incidence of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomonas was 14.3, 19.3, 69.1 per 100 person-years. Over one year of observation, past year sex work initiation predicted both chlamydia incidence (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3-6.0) and gonorrhea incidence (aHR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.0-2.8). Client sexual violence predicted gonorrhea incidence (aHR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.2-7.1) and having female sexual partners predicted trichomonas incidence (aHR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.3-8.5). Having a usual health care provider (aHR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.5-0.7) was inversely associated with trichomonas. CONCLUSIONS In this study of urban US street-based CFSW, interpersonal and structural factors differentially predicted STIs, and infection rates remained elevated through follow-up despite regular testing, notification, and treatment referral. Focused and multifaceted interventions for sex workers and their sexual partners are urgently needed.
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Rouhani S, White RH, Park JN, Sherman SG. High willingness to use overdose prevention sites among female sex workers in Baltimore, Maryland. Drug Alcohol Depend 2020; 212:108042. [PMID: 32416474 PMCID: PMC9426862 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Overdose Prevention Sites (OPS) operate worldwide as spaces where people can consume previously purchased drugs under supervision, and are linked to reductions in HIV/HCV transmission and fatal overdoses. As the United States weighs their merits and legality, research is needed to estimate acceptability and use among populations at high risk for overdose. We examine willingness to use OPS among street-based female sex workers (FSW) with prevalent drug use and associated morbidities. METHODS We describe self-reported willingness, barriers and conditions around use of a hypothetical OPS among 141 FSW engaged in active drug use in Baltimore City, and describe trends using Pearson's χ2 and Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS Most women had history of overdose (55 %) and were likely to use OPS (77 %). Willingness was higher among women who: were sexual minorities (97 %;P=0.002),experienced homelessness (82 %;P=0.019), injected drugs (82 %;P=0.013), shared syringes (82 %;P=0.007), experienced sexual violence (92 %;P=0.045) or reported heroin use (83 %;P=0.039) in the past 3 months. Common anticipated barriers included transportation (45 %) and fear of arrest (41 %). CONCLUSIONS This study highlights a population of uniquely high-risk women who would benefit from an OPS integrated with other services. Conditions and barriers discussed are informative for planning and implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saba Rouhani
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States.
| | - Rebecca Hamilton White
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Ju Nyeong Park
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Susan G. Sherman
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
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Fehrenbacher AE, Park JN, Footer KHA, Silberzahn BE, Allen ST, Sherman SG. Exposure to Police and Client Violence Among Incarcerated Female Sex Workers in Baltimore City, Maryland. Am J Public Health 2020; 110:S152-S159. [PMID: 31967867 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2019.305451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Objectives. To determine the rate and correlates of incarceration among street-based female sex workers (FSWs).Methods. From April 2016 to January 2017, FSWs (n = 250) in Baltimore City, Maryland, were enrolled in a 12-month prospective cohort study. We analyzed baseline data and used zero-inflated negative binomial regression to model the incarceration rate.Results. Overall, 70% of FSWs had ever been incarcerated (mean = 15 times). In the multivariable analysis, incarceration rate was higher for FSWs exposed to police violence, non-Hispanic White FSWs, and women who used injection drugs daily. Risk for ever being incarcerated was higher for FSWs exposed to police or client violence, non-Hispanic Black FSWs, women who used injection or noninjection drugs daily, and those with longer time in sex work.Conclusions. Incarceration was associated with exposure to violence from both police and clients. Daily drug use and time in sex work appeared to amplify these risks. Although non-Hispanic Black women were at greater risk for ever being incarcerated, non-Hispanic White women were incarcerated more frequently.Public Health Implications. Decriminalization of sex work and drug use should be prioritized to reduce violence against FSWs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne E Fehrenbacher
- At the time of the study, Anne E. Fehrenbacher was with the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and the University of California Global Health Institute (UCGHI) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Ju Nyeong Park, Katherine H. A. Footer, Bradley E. Silberzahn, Sean T. Allen, and Susan G. Sherman were with the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. Katherine H. A. Footer and Susan G. Sherman were also with the Department of Epidemiology, and Susan G. Sherman was also with the Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
| | - Ju Nyeong Park
- At the time of the study, Anne E. Fehrenbacher was with the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and the University of California Global Health Institute (UCGHI) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Ju Nyeong Park, Katherine H. A. Footer, Bradley E. Silberzahn, Sean T. Allen, and Susan G. Sherman were with the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. Katherine H. A. Footer and Susan G. Sherman were also with the Department of Epidemiology, and Susan G. Sherman was also with the Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
| | - Katherine H A Footer
- At the time of the study, Anne E. Fehrenbacher was with the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and the University of California Global Health Institute (UCGHI) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Ju Nyeong Park, Katherine H. A. Footer, Bradley E. Silberzahn, Sean T. Allen, and Susan G. Sherman were with the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. Katherine H. A. Footer and Susan G. Sherman were also with the Department of Epidemiology, and Susan G. Sherman was also with the Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
| | - Bradley E Silberzahn
- At the time of the study, Anne E. Fehrenbacher was with the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and the University of California Global Health Institute (UCGHI) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Ju Nyeong Park, Katherine H. A. Footer, Bradley E. Silberzahn, Sean T. Allen, and Susan G. Sherman were with the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. Katherine H. A. Footer and Susan G. Sherman were also with the Department of Epidemiology, and Susan G. Sherman was also with the Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
| | - Sean T Allen
- At the time of the study, Anne E. Fehrenbacher was with the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and the University of California Global Health Institute (UCGHI) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Ju Nyeong Park, Katherine H. A. Footer, Bradley E. Silberzahn, Sean T. Allen, and Susan G. Sherman were with the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. Katherine H. A. Footer and Susan G. Sherman were also with the Department of Epidemiology, and Susan G. Sherman was also with the Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
| | - Susan G Sherman
- At the time of the study, Anne E. Fehrenbacher was with the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and the University of California Global Health Institute (UCGHI) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Ju Nyeong Park, Katherine H. A. Footer, Bradley E. Silberzahn, Sean T. Allen, and Susan G. Sherman were with the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. Katherine H. A. Footer and Susan G. Sherman were also with the Department of Epidemiology, and Susan G. Sherman was also with the Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
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Glick JL, Lim S, Beckham SW, Tomko C, Park JN, Sherman SG. Structural vulnerabilities and HIV risk among sexual minority female sex workers (SM-FSW) by identity and behavior in Baltimore, MD. Harm Reduct J 2020; 17:43. [PMID: 32539784 PMCID: PMC7296724 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-020-00383-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research suggests sexual minority female sex workers (SM-FSW) face elevated structural vulnerability and HIV risk compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Structural vulnerabilities reflect societal level factors (e.g., sexism, homophobia, racism) that constrain an individual's agency, particularly related to health outcomes. This study examines the association between SM status by identity and behavior, structural vulnerability, and HIV risk among a sample of street-based FSW. METHODS The current study utilizes baseline data from the SAPPHIRE study, a prospective cohort of cis gender and transgender FSW in Baltimore, MD, recruited through targeted time-location sampling from April 2016 to January 2017. The current analysis focuses on cisgender women. The baseline survey ascertained demographics, substance use, intimate partner violence (IPV), and sex work characteristics. Multivariable models were constructed using self-identity and behaviorally defined SM status as independent variables with vulnerability outcomes (e.g., injection drug use, injection speedball, binge drinking, homelessness, physical IPV, ever had a pimp, and being a minor at sex work entry (age < 18)) as dependent variables. RESULTS Of the participants (n = 247), 25.5% (n = 63) self-identified as a SM by identity (e.g., gay or bisexual), and 8.5% (n = 21) reported SM behavior (e.g., same-gender sexual behavior) in the past 3 months. In multivariable logistic regression models, SM status by identity was associated with increased odds of injection drug use, binge drinking, homelessness, physical IPV, and being a minor at sex work entry. SM status by behavior was associated with increased odds of binge drinking, homelessness, ever having a pimp, and being a minor at sex work entry. CONCLUSION The study indicates disproportionate structural vulnerability and heightened HIV risk among SM-FSW, as compared to their heterosexual counterparts, with differences in their profile by sexual identity and behavior. Findings suggest a need for nuanced interventions tailored to these populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Glick
- Department of Health Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
| | - Sahnah Lim
- Department of Health Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Population Health, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - S Wilson Beckham
- Department of Health Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Catherine Tomko
- Department of Health Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Ju Nyeong Park
- Department of Health Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Susan G Sherman
- Department of Health Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
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Footer KHA, Silberzahn BE, Lim S, Huettner S, Kumar VA, Loeffler D, Peitzmeier SM, Sherman SG. "An ethnographic exploration of factors that drive policing of street-based female sex workers in a U.S. setting - identifying opportunities for intervention". BMC INTERNATIONAL HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS 2020; 20:12. [PMID: 32410616 PMCID: PMC7227297 DOI: 10.1186/s12914-020-00232-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Background Building on a broader sociological discourse around policing approaches towards vulnerable populations, increasing public health and human rights evidence points to policing practices as a key health determinant, particularly among street-based sex workers. Despite the importance of policing as a structural health determinant, few studies have sought to understand the factors that underlie and shape harmful policing practices towards sex workers. This study therefore aimed to explore the drivers for policing attitudes and practices towards street-based cisgender female sex workers. Methods Drawing on ethnographic methods, 280 h of observations with police patrol and 10 stakeholder interviews with senior police leadership in Baltimore City, USA were carried out to better understand the drivers for policing strategies towards cisgender female sex workers. Analysis was data- and theory-driven, drawing on the concepts of police culture and complementary criminological and sociological literature that aided exploration of the influence of the ecological and structural environment on policing practices. Results Ecological factors at the structural (e.g., criminalization), organizational (e.g., violent crime control), community and individual level (e.g., stigmatizing attitudes) emerged as key to shaping individual police practices and attitudes towards cisgender female sex workers in this setting. Findings indicate senior police support for increased alignment with public health and human rights goals. However, the study highlights that interventions need to move beyond individual officer training and address the broader structural and organizational setting in which harmful police practices towards sex work operate. Conclusions A more in-depth understanding of the circumstances that drive law enforcement approaches to street-based sex work is critical to the collaborative design of interventions with police in different settings. In considering public health-police partnerships to address the rights and health of sex worker populations in the U.S. and elsewhere, this study supports existing calls for decriminalization of sex work, supported by institutional and policy reforms, neighborhood-level dialogues that shift the cultural landscape around sex work within both the police and larger community, and innovative individual-level police trainings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine H A Footer
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Health, Behavior and Society, 624 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
| | - Bradley E Silberzahn
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Health, Behavior and Society, 624 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Sahnah Lim
- New York University School of Medicine, Department of Population Health and Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Steven Huettner
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, 5200 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Victor A Kumar
- Johns Hopkins Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Department of Anthropology, 466 Mergenthaler Hall, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Derek Loeffler
- Baltimore City Police Department, Northwestern District, 5271 Reistertown Road, Baltimore, MD, 21215, USA
| | - Sarah M Peitzmeier
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Publissc Health, Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Susan G Sherman
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Health, Behavior and Society, 624 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
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Barriers and facilitators to retaining a cohort of street-based cisgender female sex workers recruited in Baltimore, Maryland, USA: results from the SAPPHIRE study. BMC Public Health 2020; 20:585. [PMID: 32349728 PMCID: PMC7191822 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-020-08723-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Despite experiencing HIV/STIs, violence, and other morbidities at higher rates than the general public, street-based female sex workers are often absent from public health research and surveillance due to the difficulty and high costs associated with engagement and retention. The current study builds on existing literature by examining barriers and facilitators of retaining a street-based cohort of cisgender female sex workers recruited in a mobile setting in Baltimore, Maryland who participated in the SAPPHIRE study. Participants completed interviews and sexual health testing at baseline, 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-months. Methods Retention strategies are described and discussed in light of their benefits and challenges. Strategies included collecting several forms of participant contact information, maintaining an extensive field presence by data collectors, conducting social media outreach and public record searches, and providing cash and non-cash incentives. We also calculated raw and adjusted retention proportions at each follow-up period. Lastly, baseline sample characteristics were compared by number of completed visits across demographic, structural vulnerabilities, work environment, and substance use variables using F-tests and Pearson’s chi-square tests. Results Although there were drawbacks to each retention strategy, each method was useful in tandem in achieving a successful follow-up rate. While direct forms of contact such as phone calls, social media outreach, and email were useful for retaining more stable participants, less stable participants required extensive field-based efforts such as home and site visits that increase the likelihood of random encounters. Overall, adjusted retention exceeded 70% for the duration of the 12-month study. Participants who were younger, recently experienced homelessness, and injected drugs daily were less likely to have completed all or most follow-up visits. Conclusion Retention of street-based female sex workers required the simultaneous use of diverse retention strategies that were tailored to participant characteristics. With familiarity of the dynamic nature of the study population characteristics, resources can be appropriately allocated to strategies most likely to result in successful retention.
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Allen ST, White RH, O’Rourke A, Ahmad NJ, Hazelett T, Kilkenny ME, Sherman SG. Correlates of Transactional Sex Among a Rural Population of People Who Inject Drugs. AIDS Behav 2020; 24:775-781. [PMID: 31407213 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-019-02612-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
In the United States, high rates of HIV infection among persons who engage in transactional sex are partially driven by substance use. Little is known about transactional sex among rural populations of people who inject drugs (PWID). Using data from a 2018 survey of 420 rural PWID in West Virginia, we used logistic regression to identify correlates of recent transactional sex (past 6 months). Most study participants were male (61.2%), white (83.6%), and reported having injected heroin (81.0%) in the past 6 months. Nearly one-fifth (18.3%) reported engaging in recent transactional sex. Independent correlates of transactional sex were: being female [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.90; 95% CI 2.12-7.16]; being a sexual minority (aOR 3.07; 95% CI 1.60-5.87); being single (aOR 3.22; 95% CI 1.73-6.01); receptive syringe sharing (aOR 3.13; 95% CI 1.73-5.66); and number of injections per day (aOR 1.08; 95% CI 1.01-1.15). Rural PWID who engage in transactional sex are characterized by multiple vulnerabilities that increase their HIV risk.
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Decker MR, Park JN, Allen ST, Silberzahn B, Footer K, Huettner S, Galai N, Sherman SG. Inconsistent Condom Use Among Female Sex Workers: Partner-specific Influences of Substance Use, Violence, and Condom Coercion. AIDS Behav 2020; 24:762-774. [PMID: 31254189 PMCID: PMC10132468 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-019-02569-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Female sex workers (FSWs) are disproportionately affected by HIV. Inconsistent condom use (ICU) represents the most proximal risk for acquisition and transmission. We evaluate associations of partner-specific factors including physical and sexual violence, coercion, and substance use with ICU with clients and regular non-paying partners, respectively, among FSWs. Baseline survey data from a prospective cohort of 250 street-based FSW in Baltimore, Maryland, USA included partner-level drug and alcohol use, violence, condom coercion and ICU, in addition to individual and structural exposures. Logistic regression analyses were stratified by partner type, followed by path analysis where indicated. Within client and regular non-paying partnerships, FSWs reported prevalent recent violence (34.8%, 16%, respectively), condom coercion (42.4%, 9.9%, respectively) and ICU (39.2%, 44.4%, respectively). Recent physical or sexual violence enabled coercive condom negotiation (AORclient 8.22, 95% CI 4.30, 15.73; AORnonpayingpartner 3.01 95% CI 1.05, 8.63). ICU with clients was associated with client condom coercion (AOR 1.76, 95% CI 1.03, 3.02), and client intoxication during sex (AOR 2.25, 95% CI 1.13, 4.45). In path analysis of client-FSW partnerships, condom coercion fully mediated the influences of both sex worker intoxication and recent violence on ICU. ICU with non-paying partners was associated with FSW intoxication during sex (AOR 8.66, 95% CI 3.73, 20.10), and past-year police violence (AOR 2.92, 1.30, 6.57). Partner-level substance use and gendered power differentials influenced FSWs' ICU patterns differently by partner type. ICU with clients was rooted solely in partner factors, and coercive condom negotiation mediated the roles of violence and partner-level substance use on ICU. By contrast, ICU with non-paying partners was rooted in partner-level substance use and police violence as a structural determinant. Addressing HIV risk behavior for FSWs requires condom promotion efforts tailored to partner type that addresses power differentials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele R Decker
- Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. .,Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
| | - Ju Nyeong Park
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Sean T Allen
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Bradley Silberzahn
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Katherine Footer
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Steven Huettner
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Noya Galai
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Susan G Sherman
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
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Shepp V, O’Callaghan E, Kirkner A, Lorenz K, Ullman S. Sexual Assault Survivors Who Exchange Sex: Identity, Stigma, and Informal Responses from Support Providers. AFFILIA 2020; 35:105-128. [PMID: 34219914 PMCID: PMC8248476 DOI: 10.1177/0886109919866161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
It is well established in the literature that individuals who engage in sex work are more likely to experience sexual trauma/violence, but little research has examined experiences of sexual assault survivors who exchange sex from the survivor's perspective. Sexual assault survivors and their informal support providers (SP; e.g., family, friends, romantic partners) were interviewed separately about disclosure, social reactions, and help-seeking following assault. Sixteen survivors mentioned experiences exchanging sex, which comprises the sample for the current study, as well as comments from twelve SPs. Qualitative analysis revealed several themes including violence experienced engaging in sex work, navigating stigma and the identity of both sexual assault survivor and sex worker, and how survivors' social supports impact their recovery. Survivors endorsed their sex worker identities at varying levels, and others used their identity as a sexual assault survivor to explain why they engaged in sex work. Social work implications regarding service provision and advocacy work are discussed.
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Community-Based Responses to Negative Health Impacts of Sexual Humanitarian Anti-Trafficking Policies and the Criminalization of Sex Work and Migration in the US. SOCIAL SCIENCES-BASEL 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/socsci9010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
System-involvement resulting from anti-trafficking interventions and the criminalization of sex work and migration results in negative health impacts on sex workers, migrants, and people with trafficking experiences. Due to their stigmatized status, sex workers and people with trafficking experiences often struggle to access affordable, unbiased, and supportive health care. This paper will use thematic analysis of qualitative data from in-depth interviews and ethnographic fieldwork with 50 migrant sex workers and trafficked persons, as well as 20 key informants from legal and social services, in New York and Los Angeles. It will highlight the work of trans-specific and sex worker–led initiatives that are internally addressing gaps in health care and the negative health consequences that result from sexual humanitarian anti-trafficking interventions that include policing, arrest, court-involvement, court-mandated social services, incarceration, and immigration detention. Our analysis focuses on the impact of criminalization on sex workers and their experiences with sexual humanitarian efforts intended to protect and control them. We argue that these grassroots community-based efforts are a survival-oriented reaction to the harms of criminalization and a response to vulnerabilities left unattended by mainstream sexual humanitarian approaches to protection and service provision that frame sex work itself as the problem. Peer-to-peer interventions such as these create solidarity and resiliency within marginalized communities, which act as protective buffers against institutionalized systemic violence and the resulting negative health outcomes. Our results suggest that broader public health support and funding for community-led health initiatives are needed to reduce barriers to health care resulting from stigma, criminalization, and ineffective anti-trafficking and humanitarian efforts. We conclude that the decriminalization of sex work and the reform of institutional practices in the US are urgently needed to reduce the overall negative health outcomes of system-involvement.
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