| Summary: | Introduction: Purpose of the article is to analyse the motives of the decision to limit or stop using psychoactive substances (mainly alcohol) by female escort agency sex workers. Also presented are sex workers’ strategies to realise those objectives despite easy access to psychoactive substances and co-worker or client pressure to use them.
Method: The empirical basis of the article is in the form of 43 in-depth interviews with female escort agency sex workers. All interviewees declared they have attempted to limit consumption of psychoactive substances. Transcriptions and notes from the interview underwent analysis according to Grounded Theory methodology; that is open, selective, axial and theoretical coding. A constant comparative method was also employed.
Results: Indoor sex workers undertake activities intended to limit the amount of used substances, resulting from self-reflection, influence of significant others or pressure from agency managers. The researched women tried to achieve the objective through several strategies: limitation of amount and type of consumed substances, controlled alcohol/drug consumption, change of the agency to one with a less liberal approach to substance use and application of disulfiram.
Conclusions: Escort agency sex workers use the public support system for addicted individuals to an insignificant extent. They also do not participate in the Anonymous Alcoholics meetings. The crossing stigma related to prostitution and psychoactive substance abuse encourage them to undertake independent attempts to limit consumption, especially such that do not require participation in a therapy or in self-help groups.
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