Much More Than HIV! The Reality of Life on the Streets for Drug-Using Sex Workers in Inner City Hartford

Abstract

This article presents a qualitative account of the risks faced by sex workers in inner-city Hartford, Connecticut. Data were collected from sixteen ethnic minority drug-using women actively involved in prostitution. In addition to the risk of HIV and other STDs, emotional and physical violence, including assault, rape, and even murder, figure prominently in the lives of these women. Daily exposure to street violence, coupled with the demands of a drug habit, and limited economic possibilities, often hinder sex workers' efforts to protect themselves against HIV infection. General recommendations are made for the development of prevention efforts that specifically target the needs of this population.