The Intimate Relationship Experiences of Women Engaged in Transactional Sex Work in Barbados

This phenomenological study, consisting of individual interviews with a sample of 30 women engaged in sex work, examines the intimate relationships of women engaged in sex work in Barbados. Participants often entered relationships with men they met while engaged in sex work. Most experienced relatio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Violence against women 2023-03, Vol.29 (3-4), p.580-601
Main Authors: Kyriakakis, Stavroula, Henning, Jenna, Goddard-Durant, Sadie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Barbados
Dating
Domestic violence
Empowerment
Female
HIV
HIV Infections - psychology
Human immunodeficiency virus
Humans
Intimate partner violence
Intimate Partner Violence - psychology
Male
Mental health
Mental health services
Personal relationships
Prevention programs
Preventive medicine
Risk Factors
Sex industry
Sex Work
Sexual Behavior
Sexual Partners - psychology
Women
Work
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Summary:This phenomenological study, consisting of individual interviews with a sample of 30 women engaged in sex work, examines the intimate relationships of women engaged in sex work in Barbados. Participants often entered relationships with men they met while engaged in sex work. Most experienced relationships that became transactional, abusive, and exploitative. Intimate partner violence (IPV) challenged their ability to negotiate condom use with intimate partners placing them at risk for HIV. A cycle emerged of entering relationships to exit the violent conditions of sex work and then re-entering sex work to escape IPV. Implications for mental health, HIV prevention, IPV, and empowerment services are described.
ISSN:1077-8012
1552-8448
DOI:10.1177/10778012211058227