Psychiatric Morbidity and Social Exclusion among Sex Workers - A Review of Literature

Abstract

Abstract: "Commercial sex workers" refers to those who engage in prostitution, and have been used in the literature on the subject over a period of time. The term has been adopted, which is free of the complex, derogatory and sexist connotations, which are often linked with the concept of a "slut". Sex work includes a wide variety of activities, including the exchange of foreign currency (or an equivalent) for the purchase of sex, and sexual services. Sex work has been attributed to several psychiatric issues, including physical violence as a child, sexual assault as a child, adult domestic discrimination, substance abuse, trauma etc. Commercial sex work, according to Medrano, and Gilchrist, is often correlated with the socio-demographic disadvantage such as ethnic minority, low-income, food and nutrition, and a lack of education and training. Sex workers may be exposed to the stigma of the action, and, therefore, have a high risk for psychiatric morbidity. There is indeed a scarcity of literature into how sex workers deal with mental health and stigma. The stigma of the sex industry would have a direct impact on the mental health of sex workers. The need to control, and the risk of selective disclosure of the sex work is the usual on-the-job. The objective of this review is to examine the current literature on sex workers, with a focus on health as well as other forms of social isolation such as disability, homelessness, and drug abuse. There aren't many articles dedicated to mental health, social isolation, or sex work. The paper is divided into three sections based on three major themes. The very first theme looks at the causes that lead to insecurity, social isolation, and sex work participation. The second topic examines how exclusionary mechanisms impact sex workers' mental health and the most common mental illnesses in the sex worker population. Finally, the third topic considers how exclusionary mechanisms impact the lives of sex workers, as well as the various degrees of social exclusion faced by different classes of sex workers. Sex workers, especially on-the-street, off-the-street, transient, and trafficked sex workers, face potential threats and sickness. Several of these impediments are connected to wider questions of social exclusion that go far beyond sex work. Keywords: Sex worker, psychiatric morbidity, social exclusion, sex work stigma, factors affecting entrance into sex workers.