Sex workers to pay the price: Prostitution strategy is a missed opportunity

doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7537.362-a

BMJ 2006;332:362 (11 February), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7537.362-a

Letter

Sex workers to pay the price

Prostitution strategy is a missed opportunity

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—The safety of sex workers in prostitution as wellas the neighbourhoods where it takes place is paramount, andtherefore tolerance zones seem to be a better way to achievethis objective. Like Boynton and Cusik,¹ I am disappointed thatthe Home Office has missed the opportunity to consider tolerancezones in its strategy.

Walsall has its own prostitution and associated problems. Duringthe mid and late 1990s, considerable anger prevailed among thecommunity experiencing the direct affects of prostitution. Weinitiated a qualitative study to obtain the views of residentsand sex workers so that a robust strategy could be developed.The findings of this study surprised many as they included hithertounknown facts. For example, more than half the sex workers andtheir clients were Walsall residents, which was contrary tothe perception of many, that prostitution was an imported problem.This finding alone made individuals . . . [Full text of this article]