Prostitution &: Public health

Sex Trafficking

Aug 15

This is a new series called “Prostitution &.” The series will highlight the complex and multifaceted phenomenon that is commercial sexual exploitation. Today, I will discuss prostitution as a significant public health concern at both the individual and societal levels. You may also want to read “Prostitution &: An introduction.”

Negative health outcomes for individuals who have experienced sex trafficking result from physical violence, psychological disorders due to trauma, addiction, unsafe and violent sex acts, unsanitary living/working conditions, and restrictions in access to healthcare (Gajic-Veljanoski & Stewart, 2005). According to a study conducted by Farley et al. (2004), individuals in prostitution in the United States reported that 82% had been physically assaulted, 73% had been raped, 59% had been raped more than five times, and 78% had been threatened with a weapon. Of individuals in commercial sexual exploitation in the United States, 69% met the criteria for a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder, compared to 6.8% of the general American public, 30.9% of male Vietnam War veterans, and 15.1% of male Gulf War veterans (Gradus, 2013). To cope with the horrors associated with sexual exploitation, 75% of individuals used drugs (Farley et al., 2004).

The life expectancy rate in the United States has decreased between 2018 and 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving the U.S. population even further behind their peer countries, especially for Individuals of Color (Woolf, et al., 2021). Individuals in prostitution in the United States have a standard mortality rate 4 points higher than the general American public (5.9 compared to 1.9; Potterat et al., 2004). The leading causes of death for individuals in prostitution were homicide (19%), drug-related causes (18%), accidents (12%), alcohol-related causes (9%), and HIV/AIDS (8%). According to Potterat et al. (2004), women in prostitution are 18 times more likely to be murdered while in prostitution than their un-exploited peers. These disparities negatively impact American society via the spread of disease, the threat of increased violence against women and children, overwhelming numbers of children in the foster care system, and increased spending on welfare and incarceration (Lloyd, 2012; United States Department of State, 2020).

The next portion of the series — “Prostitution &: Poverty” — will be out next week!

Courtney Furlong

Courtney Furlong, MS, MEd, LPC, CRC, is a native of Atlanta, GA and a graduate of Auburn University with a Master of Science in Human Development and Family Science and a Master of Education in Rehabilitation Counseling. A licensed counselor, Furlong has spent over 20 years working with victims of commercial sexual exploitation from ten countries covering Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. She is currently a PhD Candidate in Human Development and Family Science at Auburn University and serves as the Director of Research for Street Grace.