Occupational health and safety among commercial sex workers
The concept of occupational health and safety (OHS) for commercial sex workers has rarely been investigated, perhaps because of the often informal nature of the workplace, the associated stigma, and the frequently illegal nature of the activity. We reviewed the literature on health, occupational ris...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health (NOROSH)
2012-03-01
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| Series: | Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: |
https://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=3184
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| _version_ | 1818675841629945856 |
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| author | Michael W Ross Beth R Crisp Sven-Axel Månsson Sarah Hawkes |
| author_facet | Michael W Ross Beth R Crisp Sven-Axel Månsson Sarah Hawkes |
| author_sort | Michael W Ross |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The concept of occupational health and safety (OHS) for commercial sex workers has rarely been investigated, perhaps because of the often informal nature of the workplace, the associated stigma, and the frequently illegal nature of the activity. We reviewed the literature on health, occupational risks, and safety among commercial sex workers. Cultural and local variations and commonalities were identified. Dimensions of OHS that emerged included legal and policing risks, risks associated with particular business settings such as streets and brothels, violence from clients, mental health risks and protective factors, alcohol and drug use, repetitive strain injuries, sexually transmissible infections, risks associated with particular classes of clients, issues associated with male and transgender commercial sex workers, and issues of risk reduction that in many cases are associated with lack of agency or control, stigma, and legal barriers. We further discuss the impact and potential of OHS interventions for commercial sex workers. The OHS of commercial sex workers covers a range of domains, some potentially modifiable by OHS programs and workplace safety interventions targeted at this population. We argue that commercial sex work should be considered as an occupation overdue for interventions to reduce workplace risks and enhance worker safety. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T08:34:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3696d9d716aa4fd981bcbc83423eba7a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0355-3140 1795-990X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T08:34:00Z |
| publishDate | 2012-03-01 |
| publisher | Nordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health (NOROSH) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-3696d9d716aa4fd981bcbc83423eba7a2022-12-21T21:56:32ZengNordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health (NOROSH)Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health0355-31401795-990X2012-03-0138210511910.5271/sjweh.31843184Occupational health and safety among commercial sex workersMichael W Ross0Beth R CrispSven-Axel MånssonSarah HawkesCenter for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, School of Public Health, University of Texas, PO Box 20036, Houston TX 77225, USA.The concept of occupational health and safety (OHS) for commercial sex workers has rarely been investigated, perhaps because of the often informal nature of the workplace, the associated stigma, and the frequently illegal nature of the activity. We reviewed the literature on health, occupational risks, and safety among commercial sex workers. Cultural and local variations and commonalities were identified. Dimensions of OHS that emerged included legal and policing risks, risks associated with particular business settings such as streets and brothels, violence from clients, mental health risks and protective factors, alcohol and drug use, repetitive strain injuries, sexually transmissible infections, risks associated with particular classes of clients, issues associated with male and transgender commercial sex workers, and issues of risk reduction that in many cases are associated with lack of agency or control, stigma, and legal barriers. We further discuss the impact and potential of OHS interventions for commercial sex workers. The OHS of commercial sex workers covers a range of domains, some potentially modifiable by OHS programs and workplace safety interventions targeted at this population. We argue that commercial sex work should be considered as an occupation overdue for interventions to reduce workplace risks and enhance worker safety. https://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=3184 prostitutionoccupational healthsafetysexoccupational health and safetyoshohssex workersex work |
| spellingShingle | Michael W Ross Beth R Crisp Sven-Axel Månsson Sarah Hawkes Occupational health and safety among commercial sex workers Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health prostitution occupational health safety sex occupational health and safety osh ohs sex worker sex work |
| title | Occupational health and safety among commercial sex workers |
| title_full | Occupational health and safety among commercial sex workers |
| title_fullStr | Occupational health and safety among commercial sex workers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Occupational health and safety among commercial sex workers |
| title_short | Occupational health and safety among commercial sex workers |
| title_sort | occupational health and safety among commercial sex workers |
| topic | prostitution occupational health safety sex occupational health and safety osh ohs sex worker sex work |
| url |
https://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=3184
|
| work_keys_str_mv | AT michaelwross occupationalhealthandsafetyamongcommercialsexworkers AT bethrcrisp occupationalhealthandsafetyamongcommercialsexworkers AT svenaxelmansson occupationalhealthandsafetyamongcommercialsexworkers AT sarahhawkes occupationalhealthandsafetyamongcommercialsexworkers |