Gender violence in the daily work of sex workers - Integrative review

Abstract

Sex workers do not escape the context of gender violence, since they are a potential audience both for the feminine condition and for the prejudice and stigma they carry through the profession. To present an integrative review of the scientific literature on violence against sex workers in their daily work period from 2009 to 2018. This is an integrative bibliographical review study in scientific electronic libraries, through descriptors. The descriptors used were: prostitution, women and violence. Inclusion criteria were full-text articles available in full, published in Portuguese, English and Spanish journals between 2009 and 2018. Works that did not fit the eligibility criteria were excluded. The trend of publications on violence in the daily work of sex workers in the years 2008 to 2019 prevailed the year of 2012 with three publications followed of the year 2014 with two. Four publications were found in Brazil on the subject, two in North America two in Asia and two in Africa. The type of study most used in the research was the qualitative type covering 40%. As for the types of violence most suffered by sex workers, physical and sexual violence prevailed in 50% of the publications, in only one of the studies the prevalence of violence was psychological. Most of the violent acts were perpetrated by clients, however, they do not cease to suffer violence by policemen and brothel owners. The research made it possible to identify that violence in the daily life of sex workers is common, since they work in places that determine violent acts. It has been found that these women are subject to violence perpetrated by clients, who understand that being paid for the program gives them even the right to assault them.