A qualitative study into female sex workers\u2019 experience of stigma in the health care setting in Hong Kong

Haixia Ma,Alice Yuen Loke

doi:10.1186/s12939-019-1084-1

Haixia Ma, Alice Yuen Loke

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-019-1084-1

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Abstract

BackgroundHong Kong has gained a good reputation for its quality public health care services. However, there is a growing recognition that social stigma is a potential obstacle when female sex workers (FSWs) access health care services. There are a lack of studies focusing on how FSWs experience and cope with stigma when accessing health care services in Hong Kong.ObjectiveThis study aims to explore how FSWs experience stigma and develop coping strategies when accessing health care services in Hong Kong.MethodsThis is a qualitative interview study. Staff of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that serve sex workers in Hong Kong facilitated the process of recruiting the participants. In-depth individual interviews were conducted with 22 FSWs, focusing on their experiences of stigma and coping strategies when accessing health care services. A directed content analysis approach was adopted to analyze the data.ResultsThe interview data can be grouped into three themes: experience of stigma in the health care setting; coping with the stigma of sex work; and the call for non-judgmental holistic health care.ConclusionThis study contributes to an understanding of the experience of stigma and stigma coping strategies of FSWs when accessing health care services in Hong Kong. stigma remains an important issue for a large proportion of FSWs when they seek timely professional help, openly disclose their sex work identity, and receive comprehensive health care services. The study also highlights the need to address multiple healthcare needs of FSWs beyond STDs. Moreover, the study contributes to increasing awareness of, and respect for, the human right of FSWs to receive non-discriminatory health services.

Highlights

According to the classic definition of stigma provided by Erving Goffman (1963), stigma is “an undesirable or discrediting attribute that an individual possesses, reducing that individual’s status in the eyes of society.” (p.3) [1]
The interview data can be grouped into three themes: experience of stigma in the health care setting; coping with the stigma of sex work; and the call for non-judgmental holistic health care
This study contributes to an understanding of the experience of stigma and stigma coping strategies of female sex workers (FSWs) when accessing health care services in Hong Kong. stigma remains an important issue for a large proportion of FSWs when they seek timely professional help, openly disclose their sex work identity, and receive comprehensive health care services

Summary

Introduction

According to the classic definition of stigma provided by Erving Goffman (1963), stigma is “an undesirable or discrediting attribute that an individual possesses, reducing that individual’s status in the eyes of society.” (p.3) [1]. Female sex workers (FSWs) are stigmatized and marginalized around the world. They are generally not accepted in society and are regarded as criminals, immoral troublemakers, sexual deviants, and vectors or reservoirs of. The conceptualization of stigma and the extensive literature on the stigma of sex workers suggested that FSWs may experience multiple levels of stigma, namely social stigma, structural stigma, and self-stigma [5,6,7]. There is a growing recognition that social stigma is a potential obstacle when female sex workers (FSWs) access health care services.

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