Alcohol and Drug Use and Abuse Among Women Selling Sex

Abstract

This book reviews empirical literature on a number of psychological concepts related to selling sex. The goals of the book and the boundaries of what is included can be found in Chap. 1. In brief, this book focuses on private, in-person, consensual sex acts exchanged between a cisgender woman and a paying customer. Research on men, minors, and victims of sex trafficking are deliberately excluded, unless otherwise noted. The review favors peer-reviewed sources of research and is most inclusive of comparative studies. Qualitative findings are used illustratively. In Chap. 5, we review alcohol and drug use among women who sell sex, a topic that has been studied extensively within the research literature. We begin by discussing some of the challenges of measuring alcohol and drug use in the context of selling sex and then review research on the prevalence of alcohol and substance use. Next, we review research relevant to questions such as: Do women tend to use alcohol and substances more before or after starting to sell sex? Does one impact the other more strongly? What are the reasons that women who sell sex use alcohol and drugs? We conclude by discussing some of the correlates and consequences of alcohol and drug use in the context of selling sex.