Causes of mortality among female sex workers: Results of a multi-country study

Willis, Brian; Perttu, Emily; Fitzgerald, Maureen H.; Thompson, Heather; Weerasinghe, Swarna; Macias‐Konstantopoulos, Wendy

doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101658

Cited by 12 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 33 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…This may stem from multiple structural challenges related to transphobia [42], including exclusion from traditional forms of employment, lack of access to livable wages, safe and affordable housing, and lack of availability of trans‐friendly service providers [40, 43, 44, 45]. Our findings emphasize the need for research to include victims assigned male at birth, particularly to study homicides among transfeminine sex workers, as previous research primarily focused on female victims while excluding male victims [1, 2, 6, 12, 20]. Further research is essential to better address the social marginalization and violence experienced by transgender sex workers, considering the needs of diverse racial and ethnic groups within the transgender community.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The majority of prior research on sex work-related homicide in the US used survey data from small cohorts of sex workers, homicide data from specific cities and states, information obtained from media reports on homicides involving sex work, and/or data from the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR) database [1][2][3][4][5][6]13], which relies on voluntary participation by law enforcement agencies and may therefore be incomplete [14,15] (documentation of SHR data is available at https:// www. ojjdp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Homicide is a prevalent cause of death among sex workers [1–3]. In 2004, the largest and most recent study recording the mortality rate of female sex workers in the United States (US) reported women involved in sex work were approximately 18 times more likely to be murdered than women of similar age and race from 1967 to 1999 [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The majority of prior research on sex work‐related homicide in the US used survey data from small cohorts of sex workers, homicide data from specific cities and states, information obtained from media reports on homicides involving sex work, and/or data from the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR) database [1–6, 13], which relies on voluntary participation by law enforcement agencies and may therefore be incomplete [14, 15] (documentation of SHR data is available at https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/ezashr/). These datasets have limitations in that they are often untimely, may lack comprehensive reports describing the circumstances leading to the deaths, and may not identify other sex work‐related roles, such as clients and sex traffickers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Sex work‐related homicides: Insights from the National Violent Death Reporting System, 2012–2020

Nguyen,

Fowler,

Betz

et al. 2023

Journal of Forensic Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Homicide is a prevalent cause of death among sex workers, given their increased risk of violence due to proximity to criminal activities such as drug trade and human trafficking. This study analyzes homicide data from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) covering 49 US states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico from 2012 to 2020. Case inclusion criteria included: (1) manner of death of homicide, and (2) sex work‐related circumstance. Descriptive analyses examined victim and injury characteristics, suspect information, and circumstances. The study identified 321 sex work‐related homicides (54% female, 41% male, 6% transgender). Among female victims, 94% were sex workers, and 54% of their suspects were clients. Money conflicts (23%) and other crimes (30%), most often in progress, commonly precipitated homicides of female victims. Substance use problems were reported in 49% of female victims, with 25% of their suspected perpetrators reportedly using substances in the preceding hours. For male victims, 54% were clients and 9% were sex workers. Suspects in male homicides were primarily sex workers (34%) or individuals engaged in sex work‐adjacent criminal activities (36%). Money conflicts (49%), other crimes (47%) most often in progress, and sex trafficking involvement (25%) commonly precipitated homicides with male victims. Transgender sex worker victims were mostly transfeminine (94%) and non‐Hispanic black (89%). Money conflicts (78%) most commonly precipitated homicides among transgender sex worker victims. These findings can inform prevention strategies addressing underlying risk factors for persons involved in sex work.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Sex work‐related homicides: Insights from the National Violent Death Reporting System, 2012–2020

Nguyen,

Fowler,

Betz

et al. 2023

Journal of Forensic Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Abortion, particularly when conducted under unsafe conditions, can have severe consequences for women, including maternal mortality and various health complications. A global systematic review has indicated that abortion is a leading cause of death among FSW, accounting for approximately 65% of all maternal deaths and 35% of all deaths [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The prevalence and correlates of unintended pregnancy among female sex workers in South China: a cross-sectional study

Liang,

Zhao,

Shi

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Female sex workers (FSW) are particularly vulnerable to unintended pregnancy. Research examining the experience of unintended pregnancy due to commercial sex among Chinese FSW, however, is limited. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and correlates of unintended pregnancy due to commercial sex among FSW in China. Methods: In 2021, a cross-sectional study was conducted in five cities from Guangdong provinces in South China. Data were collected on social-demographic characteristics, sexual behaviors, experience of unintended pregnancy due to commercial sex and its pregnancy outcome, as well as experience of abortion in lifetime. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with unintended pregnancy. Results: Among 1257 female sex workers, 19.3% (242/1257) of women reported having at least one unintended pregnancy due to commercial sex, 96.7% (234/242) of participants opted for induced abortion as a means for pregnancy termination. Among those women who experienced unintended pregnancy, 40.5% of individuals (98/242) reported having undergone multiple induced abortion in lifetime. Multivariable logistic regression indicated that women working in high tier (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR): 0.21, 95%CI: 0.14-0.30), working in current location over one year (aOR: 2.82, 95%CI: 1.71-4.64), using condoms with clients inconsistently in the past month (aOR: 0.16, 95%CI:0.10-0.23), and having more clients in the past week (aOR: 4.53, 95%CI:2.74-7.51) were more likely to experience unintended pregnancy. Conclusions: Unintended pregnancy are prevalent among FSW in South China. Interventions aimed at reducing the prevalence of unintended pregnancy and enhancing post-abortion care could be necessary among Chinese FSW.

show abstract