The connections of mental health problems, violent life experiences, and the social milieu of the "stroll" with the hiv risk behaviors of female street sex workers

Hilary L. Surratt, Steven P. Kurtz, Jason C. Weaver, James A. Inciardi

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper examines the connections of mental health, victimization, and sexual risk behaviors among a sample of 278 street-based female sex workers in Miami. Using targeted sampling strategies, drug-using sex workers were recruited into an HIV prevention research program. Data were collected by trained interviewers, and focused on drug use and sexual risk for HIV, childhood abuse, recent victimization, and mental health. More than half of the participants reported histories of physical (51.1%) or sexual (53.1%) abuse as children, 37.4% were classified with moderate or severe anxiety symptoms, and 52.9% had symptoms of moderate or severe depression. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated significant associations between mental health issues and engagement in recent unprotected vaginal and oral sex. The programdevelopment and policy implications of these findings are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationContemporary Research on Sex Work
Pages23-44
Number of pages22
ISBN (Electronic)9781317954811
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 3 2014

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Depression
  • Drug abuse
  • HIV
  • Sex work
  • Violence

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine
  • General Social Sciences

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