The Intimate Relationship Experiences of Women Engaged in Transactional Sex Work in Barbados

Abstract

This phenomenological study, consisting of individual interviews with a sample of 30 women engaged in sex work, examines the intimate relationships of women engaged in sex work in Barbados. Participants often entered relationships with men they met while engaged in sex work. Most experienced relationships that became transactional, abusive, and exploitative. Intimate partner violence (IPV) challenged their ability to negotiate condom use with intimate partners placing them at risk for HIV. A cycle emerged of entering relationships to exit the violent conditions of sex work and then re-entering sex work to escape IPV. Implications for mental health, HIV prevention, IPV, and empowerment services are described.

Correlates of Intimate Partner Violence Among Young Women Engaged in Sex Work in Southern Uganda

“…Furthermore, Kyriakakis and colleagues’ research on the experiences of women engaged in transactional sex work in Barbados supports previous studies highlighting the detrimental effects of IPV on women’s sexual health. The study found that IPV significantly impaired women’s ability to negotiate condom use with their intimate partners, making them more susceptible to contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (Kyriakakis et al, 2023). These findings underscore the critical role that gender, and power dynamics play in sexual health, as male dominance in relationships can impede women’s ability to negotiate for safe sex practices, leaving them at a higher risk of contracting STIs and HIV/AIDS.…”