Narratives of sex workers: intimate partner violence and coping strategies.
Milena Oliveira Costa, Valéria Cristina Christello Coimbra, Michele Mandagará de Oliveira and 5 others
PMID 39699369WHAT IT FOUND
Six sex workers described intimate partner violence, especially humiliation, verbal abuse and control, with physical violence and attempted femicide also present.
They coped by keeping work and relationships separate, avoiding partners who knew their work, and relying on themselves rather than social support.
Key findings
01Psychological violence, including humiliation, verbal abuse and excessive jealousy, was the most prevalent form reported in intimate relationships.
02Participants coped by separating work from personal life, avoiding relationships with people who knew their profession, and relying mainly on individual resources.
03Violence was reported by intimate partners, not clients, in these narratives.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only six women were interviewed, all from two workplaces linked to one NGO, so the findings cannot be generalised to other sex workers. The topic is sensitive, so fear, guilt and stigma may have led to underreporting of intimate partner violence. The study describes experiences and coping strategies; it does not test whether any strategy reduces violence or improves health. All participants were cisgender women sex workers, so the findings do not address other genders or sex workers not linked to the NGO.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these six narratives as evidence that sex workers do not experience violence from clients or that avoiding partners who know their work prevents violence. The study describes only six women's reports and cannot show that any coping strategy works.