When Street Sex Workers Are Mothers

Health Care for Women International, 2015

Ethos, 2018

Women & Health, 2018

2017

This thesis explores lived experiences of women involved in sex work and is comprised of three parts: a literature review, research paper, and critical appraisal. The literature review is a meta-synthesis of the ways women involved in sex work cope with the associated stigma. It synthesised findings from 14 existing qualitative studies, identified through systematic searches of six online databases. Using a meta-ethnographic approach, three themes were identified: 1) denial: ‘I do not do sex work’; 2) distancing: ‘I do sex work but it’s not me’, and 3) defending: ‘I do sex work but it’s not that bad’. Findings identify particular strategies used within the sex work context, emphasising the importance of power and resilience in stigma coping. The research paper explores women’s experiences of bonding with their children in the context of sex work. Six women were interviewed and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to identify four themes accounting for their bondin...

Global Social Welfare, 2014

2000

Most research on female sex workers is urban-based, emphasizing economic necessity and risk-taking. Few authors discuss sex workers and their children. The objective of the present study was to ethnographically explore the influence of street life on childrearing by women involved in sex work in agricultural areas of the southeastern USA. Interviews took place with 38 women. Findings suggest that

BMJ open, 2017

To explore street sex workers (SSWs) views and experiences of drug treatment, in order to understand why this population tend to experience poor drug treatment outcomes. In-depth interviews. Bristol, UK. 24 current and exited SSWs with current or previous experience of problematic use of heroin and/or crack cocaine. Participants described how feeling unable to discuss their sex work in drug treatment groups undermined their engagement in the treatment process. They outlined how disclosure of sex work resulted in stigma from male and female service users as well as adverse interactions with male service users. Participants highlighted that non-disclosure meant they could not discuss unresolved trauma issues which were common and which emerged or increased when they reduced their drug use. As trauma experiences had usually involved men as perpetrators participants said it was not appropriate to discuss them in mixed treatment groups. SSWs in recovery described how persistent trauma-re...