Exposure to Police and Client Violence Among Incarcerated Female Sex Workers in Baltimore City, Maryland
Year: 2020
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Objectives. To determine the rate and correlates of incarceration among street-based female sex workers (FSWs). Methods. From April 2016 to January 2017, FSWs (n = 250) in Baltimore City, Maryland, were enrolled in a 12-month prospective cohort study. We analyzed baseline data and used zero-inflated negative binomial regression to model the incarceration rate. Results. Overall, 70% of FSWs had ever been incarcerated (mean = 15 times). In the multivariable analysis, incarceration rate was higher for FSWs exposed to police violence, non-Hispanic White FSWs, and women who used injection drugs daily. Risk for ever being incarcerated was higher for FSWs exposed to police or client violence, non-Hispanic Black FSWs, women who used injection or noninjection drugs daily, and those with longer time in sex work. Conclusions. Incarceration was associated with exposure to violence from both police and clients. Daily drug use and time in sex work appeared to amplify these risks. Although non-Hispanic Black women were at greater risk for ever being incarcerated, non-Hispanic White women were incarcerated more frequently. Public Health Implications. Decriminalization of sex work and drug use should be prioritized to reduce violence against FSWs.
Language: English
Topic: Sex work and related issues
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: The HIV risk environment of high-risk women: Interaction with public safety, Post-doctoral HIV Research Training Program for HIV Combination Prevention, Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services, University of California Launching Future Leaders in Global Health Research Training Program, The Johns Hopkins Center for AIDS Research (JHU CFAR)
OpenAlex ID: W3000965661