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SUBSTANCE USE & THE SALE OF SEX

  • Up to 51% of women in a substance-use treatment program have sold sex in the past year1,2,3

    • 19% of men in a substance-use treatment program have sold sex in the past year 1

  • Up to 95% of women who sell sex struggle with substance abuse 6,7,8

  • Up to 83% of women who sell sex have been in drug treatment at least once 4,6

  • 83% of women who sell sex started drug use as teen 4,5

  • 51% of women who sell sex specifically started drug use as a way to escape abuse at home 4

  • Up to 37% of women who sell sex specifically started selling sex as a way to pay for drug use 7,8

  • Up to 82% of women who sell sex did not start selling sex as a way to pay for drugs 7,8

 

Of 325 women who sell sex and also used drugs in Miami, Florida in 2004: 5

  • 15 — average age first used alcohol and marijuana

  • 20 — average age first used cocaine

  • 23 — average age first used heroin

  • 26 — average age first used crack

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  1. Burnette, M.L., et al. “Prevalence and Health Correlates of Prostitution Among Patients Entering Treatment for Substance Use Disorders.” 2008. Archives of  General Psychiatry. 2008;65(3):337-344 [51% of women 19% of men in substance-use program report past year sale of sex regardless of the substance addicted to (alcohol, prescription pills, heroin, cocaine, meth, etc.)]

  2. Burnette, M.L., et al. “Women’s Past-Year Prostitution Status and Receipt of Substance Abuse Treatment Services.” Psychiatric Services. 2008 59;12 [41% of women in substance-use program report past year sale of sex]

  3. Rash, C.J., et al. “A retrospective and prospective analysis of trading sex for drugs or money in women substance abuse treatment patients.” Drug Alcohol Dependence. 2016. 162: 182–189 [44% of women in substance-use programs have history of selling sex]

  4. Romero-Daza, N., Weeks, M., & Singer, M. ‘‘Nobody Gives a Damn if I Live or Die’’: Violence, Drugs, and Street-Level Prostitution in Inner-City Hartford, Connecticut.” Medical Anthropology. 2003. 22:233–259 [29 of 35 addicted women selling sex started drug use as teen (83%); 18 of 35 started using drugs to escape home life (51%); 17 of 35 had been in drug treatment (48%)]

  5. Surratt, H., et al. “Sex Work and Drug Use in a Subculture of Violence.” Crime & Delinquency. 2004. 50;(1)43-59 [Of 325 women who sold sex and were involved in drugs, average first marijuana use was at 15 years old and first alcohol use at 15.5]

  6. Fehrenbacher, A., et al. “Exposure to Police and Client Violence Among Incarcerated Female Sex Workers in Baltimore City, Maryland.” American Journal of Public Health. 2020. 110(51) [of 250 incarcerated women who sold sex, 99% report drug use in past 3 months; 78% started selling sex to get drugs; 83% had a drug treatment history]

  7. Benoit, C., & Millar, A. “Dispelling Myths and Understanding Realities: Working Conditions, Health Status, and Exiting Experiences of Sex Workers.” 2001. The Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research. [Of 201 current and former women who sold sex in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada: 17.5% started selling sex as a way to pay for drug use;  40.9% used crack or cocaine; 31.3% used heroin and 7.1% use meth]

  8. Dalla, R. “Night moves: a qualitative investigation of street-level sex work.” 2002. Psychology of Women Quarterly. 26 (2002), 63–73 [Of 43 women who sold sex on the street, 95% reported drug use; 37% of those women were drawn to prostitution to support a  drug habit, and 19% reported entry into selling sex and drug abuse occurred simultaneously; therefore 63% of the women did not start sex work to pay for drugs

  9. Farley, M. and Barkan, H. “Prostitution, violence, and posttraumatic stress disorder.” Women & Health. 1998; 27(3) [75% reported substance use disorder]

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