Prostitution Artile

Prostitution Artile

Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 31:775–784, 2010
Copyright © Informa Healthcare USA, Inc.
ISSN: 0161-2840 print / 1096-4673 online
DOI: 10.3109/01612840.2010.524345

Understanding the Social and Economic Contexts
Surrounding Women Engaged In Street-Level Prostitution
Lyn Stankiewicz Murphy, PhD, MBA, MS, RN
University of Maryland, School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Prostitution involves the exchange of sexual services for economic compensation. Due to the sexual promiscuity surrounding
prostitution, women involved in prostitution constitute a high-risk
group for contracting and transmitting STDs, including HIV. Prostitution is not only a public health concern, but also an economic
one. Cities throughout the United States spent an average of $7.5
to $16 million per year enforcing prostitution laws and addressing negative outcomes associated with prostitution. Thus, women
involved in prostitution are a cause for concern from both public
health and economic perspectives. However, little is known about
why women remain in this type of behavior given the risks prostitution presents, and even less is known about how to intervene and
interrupt the complex cycle of prostitution. Thus, the purpose of
this study was to understand what factors contribute to a woman’s
decision to remain in prostitution. A series of interviews were conducted with 12 women engaged in street-level prostitution. Results
of the study revealed that drug use not only spurs entry into prostitution, but also contributes to the tenure of prostitution. Further,
social support and economic stability are plausible reasons for
women remaining in prostitution. These findings lead us to recommendations for policy and program development. Women involved
in prostitution are a highly marginalized population, rarely recognized as individuals with life histories. Understanding why women
remain in prostitution is important, because until these determinants are known,...

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