This study uses non-random and snowball sampling methodologies in order to get a truer insight into the life, activities and health care problems of 100 drug using prostitutes, and 50 non using prostitutes in Manchester, contacted directly in the streets or saunas / massage parlours. A subsidiary study of 120 male clients of female prostitutes was also conducted by means of self-completed questionnaires and telephone interviews. Among the sample in the main study of female prostitutes, drug users, 71% of whom were injecting users, were shown to have had a much more disrupted childhood than non users. They were also more likely to take risks in relation to condom use, to the type of sexual and drug taking activities they were engaged in, and to their general health care. A majority had been for an HIV test, with 2 reporting a positive result. Most of them (78%) had had at least one pregnancy, 10% of these making their first contact with health services whilst in labour. Access to methadone scripts tended to reduce criminal activity and rates of injecting, but only 13% had regular contact with community drug services which were not regarded as very useful. 4 The client study revealed that 62% of the sample were either married or living with a regular partner, and 86% in full time employment. One fifth had had a venereal disease check, and one fifth an HIV test (none reported positive). A majority used condoms (mostly supplied by the prostitute), although 23% reported not using one in their last contact. Clear implications arise from the study for the health, social services and criminal justice systems to ensure greater efforts are made to respond to the needs of female drug users.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:560458 |
| Date | January 1995 |
| Creators | Faugier, Jean |
| Publisher | University of Manchester |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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