Sex Workers and Their Specific Health Needs - Literature review Example

Running Header: Sex workers and their specific health needs Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Name & Code: Date of Submission: Sex workers and their specific health needs. Sex workers have rapidly increased as a result of the increased global crisis. Most sex workers engage into this business as a source of income while others do it for other purposes such as drugs or while under the influence of alcohol. The above studies summarises the major characteristics of sex workers, their social economic status and their specific health deficiencies. According to information collected by issuing questionnaires about sex workers and their work background, sex workers can be identified using various characteristics. These include their work back ground, health status, and how often they use health and other social services. Characteristics of sex workers The study also included the knowledge about protection use and how these sex workers perceive the risk of getting viral diseases such as HIV. Essien, et al. (2002) describes that the findings of the above study showed that among thirty sex workers, 10 of them were identified as heterosexual. Very few sex workers admitted the use of drugs and alcohol. 21 of these workers reported having been tested for HIV and 10 percent of them had been vaccinated against hepatitis A and B and about 67 percent of the sex workers are not independent and therefore offer their services in public places for example in the streets or in parks. The rest are independent or self-employed thus have a location where they offer their services from. According to Weitzer (2000) other studies conducted in Houston showed that about 30 percent of sex workers are African American, 29 percent are Hispanic and 20 percent are white. Among these sex workers, almost a quarter of them have sex for money therefore is their source of income. About 6 percent trade for drugs and the rest 6 percent do it for favour. Most male sex workers trade sex for drugs and they range from 30 to 38 years. The interviewed sex workers revealed that they get information about protection through the television, friends and others from government health services. A sex worker is a general term used to refer to a person working in a sex industry in that they offer sexual services to various clients. This can be through engaging into prostitution, pornography or an actor that is into sexual explicit behaviour. Other sex workers are the phone sex operators who engage into a sexual conversation with a client for money or other benefits. The other form of sex workers are those who perform in live sex for example web cam sex or in sex shows. Some others engage into erotic dances and striptease (Agustín, 2007). Socio-economic status of sex workers According to some laws, activities involving sex workers are prohibited, regulated and controlled. Though even in countries where these activities are legalized, sex workers find themselves being stigmatized and discriminated according to different race. They are also marginalized for example a client may refuse to pay, assault the sex worker or even rape. Some of the factors driving more people to engage into sex work activities include social inequality. This is mostly found in countries whose economy is low for example the developing countries and Asian countries. Individuals in these countries may lack some of the basic necessity and the only way to survive is by engaging into sexual practices to earn their income. The other factor include poverty for example most sex workers are aware of the dangers of HIV once they engage into unprotected sex but most say that they get extra cash once they offer sex without using a condom. A sex worker revealed that she does not care about the risk of HIV once she gets a client who can offer about 100 dollars for one hour since this money is enough for her to pay her bills and survive. Poverty makes most women agree to sleep with violent partners and put themselves in a risk of being infected with HIV scourge. Among the sub- Saharan African countries, Burundi been one of the world’s poorest countries studies have also shown an increase in the number of sex workers. This has initiated introduction of schemes which give small loans to women to start small businesses and to quit sex work. However, these loans have been unsuccessful to many especially those who have less skills in business. There are however many challenges that come with sex work for example recent studies show that most of them are violated. In Bangladesh for example, it was found out that annually about 60 percent of sex workers report being raped by either policemen or local criminals. In Namibia, 148 sex workers were interviewed and 72 percent of them revealed that they had been abused. About 20 percent had been abused by their clients and 18 percent had been abused by men in uniform. In India, studies showed that among 200 sex workers, 70 percent of them had been assaulted by the police and others 80 percent had earlier been arrested for refusing to engage into sexual activities with the police (Weitzer, 2009). The most vulnerable people to HIV risks in the world are the sex workers. In countries that are highly populated for example in India, Indonesia and Russia, the HIV is most likely to spread rapidly. This could get into a point where about 70 percent of sex workers being infected by the epidemic. In other countries in the sub- Saharan Africa, sex workers are more affected by the epidemic for example it has been estimated that 30 percent of sex workers in Cameroon are infected with HIV and about 70 percent of them are infected in Kenya. Various factors facilitate the spread of HIV risks among sex workers. Most of these sex workers migrate from their nationalities and continue moving to various countries and this makes it difficult to access them through health services and other organizational programs. Some of these migrant workers face cultural, social and legal obstacles and therefore do not get the right information about the prevalence of the disease. Sex workers may also be faced by other linguistic obstacles since most of them may not have had access to good education. This factor makes such people lack access to information necessary to approach a health centre or fear that they might be deported back to their countries. Weitzer (2009) describes that most of these sex workers face various violent experiences for example those working on the streets are either beaten, slashed or coerced into sex. This violence is as a result of discrimination against some certain race or culture where sex workers are highly stigmatized in most communities. In most cases they are subjected to labeling and blame. In countries where sex work in legal, there is a law that governs this discrimination and law enforcers are against any violent activities. However, in most cases, most of these sex workers consider violence and discrimination as part of their job and so they are not aware of their rights. This makes it hard for them to report any incidences of either rape, molesting or even murder cases. Marino et al. (2003) shows that in some countries such as Canada, New York and Vancouver sex workers reported that such claims are often ignored and should not be reported to the police. Nursing strategies that could be implemented to improve these deficiencies Various surveys have shown that most sex workers are very naïve and find it difficult in negotiating for their safety. One sex worker interviewed revealed that she understands the dangers of having unprotected sex but have used protection few times since most of her clients threaten to beat her once she refuses to indulge into sex using a condom. She also said that her clients promise to double her money and therefore gives in to sleeping with these clients without protection. It has also been noted that most of the HIV programs initiated to offer various services neglect sex workers. This is dangerous since sex workers should be treated just like other human beings and should be introduced to skills needed to reject unprotected sex. They should be introduced to all the information necessary to avoid the epidemic. Other strategies introduced include sensitizing various sex workers on the benefits of using protection. Some programs also give condoms or supply them to social places where sex workers frequently visit. Seminars are also organized by the same programs to educate them on the dangers of HIV and how to avoid spreading the disease. Some individuals have said that in order to reduce the risk associated with engaging into sex without protection, programs should be introduced which also educate sex clients about the dangers of engaging into unprotected sex. According to Agustín (2007) the reason for this is because educating the sex workers alone will only solve half of the problem since the clients will want to pay more for unprotected sex. A survey conducted in Vietnam showed that about 30 percent of sex workers have been forced to have sex with clients who were not willing to use a condom. Most sex workers have no access to health services that treat various Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) and other related diseases such as HIV/AIDS. The reason for them failing to attend these services is for fear of being discriminated or being beaten. Most people become sex workers voluntarily while there are others who are coerced into engaging into sexual activities through other means. One of these is through trafficking where people for example young women are trafficked to other countries after being promised better jobs. Recent studies have shown that most of these trafficked women undergo difficult problems such as being violated and being treated as sex slaves. Conclusion Most of the survey carried out in different countries show that most sex workers are aware of the dangers that come with avoiding the use protection. However, some reasons make them not to use these condoms while at work. Some of these reasons include being coerced by their clients who are not willing to use condoms. The other reason is being in a dilemma of using and getting less pay than those engaging without protection. The third reason includes countries such as USA where policemen arrest any individual carrying condoms as a way of promoting public health. Such cases make sex workers not to carry condoms for their own protection for fear of being arrested. Other health services tend to be hostile to sex workers and may even refuse treating them. This is unacceptable since it makes the sex workers feel discriminated and also fear to ask for treatment. References Agustín, L. M. (2007). Sex at the margins: Migration, labour markets and the rescue industry. London: Zed Books and the Naked Anthropologist. Essien, E. Ross, W. & Williams, M. (2002). Characteristics of sex workers and their perceptions of reliability of HIV/AIDS information sources. International Conference on AIDS. 7-12. Texas Southern University, Houston, United States. Marino, R. Minichiello, V. & Disogra, C. (2003). Male sex workers in Córdoba, Argentina. Social demographic characteristics and sex work experiences. University of New England, School of Publica. Weitzer, R. (2000). Sex for sale: Prostitution, pornography, and the sex industry. New York: Routledge Press. Weitzer, R. (2009). Sociology of sex work: Annual Review of Sociology. Decriminalize sex trade: Vancouver report. 13(5): 9-31. Read More

Some of the factors driving more people to engage into sex work activities include social inequality. This is mostly found in countries whose economy is low for example the developing countries and Asian countries. Individuals in these countries may lack some of the basic necessity and the only way to survive is by engaging into sexual practices to earn their income. The other factor include poverty for example most sex workers are aware of the dangers of HIV once they engage into unprotected sex but most say that they get extra cash once they offer sex without using a condom.

A sex worker revealed that she does not care about the risk of HIV once she gets a client who can offer about 100 dollars for one hour since this money is enough for her to pay her bills and survive. Poverty makes most women agree to sleep with violent partners and put themselves in a risk of being infected with HIV scourge. Among the sub- Saharan African countries, Burundi been one of the world’s poorest countries studies have also shown an increase in the number of sex workers. This has initiated introduction of schemes which give small loans to women to start small businesses and to quit sex work.

However, these loans have been unsuccessful to many especially those who have less skills in business. There are however many challenges that come with sex work for example recent studies show that most of them are violated. In Bangladesh for example, it was found out that annually about 60 percent of sex workers report being raped by either policemen or local criminals. In Namibia, 148 sex workers were interviewed and 72 percent of them revealed that they had been abused. About 20 percent had been abused by their clients and 18 percent had been abused by men in uniform.

In India, studies showed that among 200 sex workers, 70 percent of them had been assaulted by the police and others 80 percent had earlier been arrested for refusing to engage into sexual activities with the police (Weitzer, 2009). The most vulnerable people to HIV risks in the world are the sex workers. In countries that are highly populated for example in India, Indonesia and Russia, the HIV is most likely to spread rapidly. This could get into a point where about 70 percent of sex workers being infected by the epidemic.

In other countries in the sub- Saharan Africa, sex workers are more affected by the epidemic for example it has been estimated that 30 percent of sex workers in Cameroon are infected with HIV and about 70 percent of them are infected in Kenya. Various factors facilitate the spread of HIV risks among sex workers. Most of these sex workers migrate from their nationalities and continue moving to various countries and this makes it difficult to access them through health services and other organizational programs.

Some of these migrant workers face cultural, social and legal obstacles and therefore do not get the right information about the prevalence of the disease. Sex workers may also be faced by other linguistic obstacles since most of them may not have had access to good education. This factor makes such people lack access to information necessary to approach a health centre or fear that they might be deported back to their countries. Weitzer (2009) describes that most of these sex workers face various violent experiences for example those working on the streets are either beaten, slashed or coerced into sex.

This violence is as a result of discrimination against some certain race or culture where sex workers are highly stigmatized in most communities. In most cases they are subjected to labeling and blame. In countries where sex work in legal, there is a law that governs this discrimination and law enforcers are against any violent activities. However, in most cases, most of these sex workers consider violence and discrimination as part of their job and so they are not aware of their rights. This makes it hard for them to report any incidences of either rape, molesting or even murder cases.

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