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Rapid Responses: Rapid Responses published:
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A street sex worker responds to new government strategy
- Linda Cusick (27 January 2006)
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Update on the world's oldest profession
- William Konarzewski (5 February 2006)
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Linda Cusick, Reader in Substance Use University of Paisley
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Responses to the proposals vary from sex worker to sex worker. The following is the view of a Glasgow street worker I spoke to last week: I’ve seen the stuff in the papers about it and I have to tell you I’m totally pissed off about it. They’re saying they’re going to chase the punters and what are we meant to do? Work in flats? Are they kidding? The lassies that work round here are only doing it because of drugs, me included, and we cannae [get a job to] work in the [commercial sex] flats and if we work in our own flats we’ll just end up getting it taken off of us. And then they’ll be homeless. I don’t know what it is with the high heed ‘yin’s, you’d think they wanted the lot of us murdered. We’ve done everything they told us to. Ugly mugs, reporting, condoms, not working certain places like the lane at the drop in [specialist health service], everything. Now they’re setting up the punters against us and the whole thing will fall apart. LC: Does that mean you will stop working? I’ll still need the money, no. linda.cusick@paisley.ac.uk Competing interests: None declared |
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William Konarzewski, Consultant Anaesthetist Colchester General Hospital, Colchester CO4 5JL
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Firstly, I'd like to congratulate the author on writing such an original and provocative article, and the BMJ for publishing it. It was certainly fascinating for me, as a member of the world's second oldest profession to read about oldest. I think most of us are realistic to know that prostitution, in one guise or another, will be around until the end of time and that no government will be able to suppress it. What is important, from the medical perspective, is that our government does its best to care for the health and safety of sex workers. Some sex workers - as this article illustrates - do not need much government protection, because they are intelligent, articulate women who have chosen to pursue a profitable occupation in safe, congenial surroundings and who are plainly aware of the risks of sexually transmitted diseases. However, there are some less fortunate women who, through poverty and ignorance, are driven to work on the streets or other insalubrious places. These women are exposed to violence as well as disease. Sometimes the violence comes from clients, sometimes from their pimps. Although it has long been illegal for men to live off "immoral earnings", a large number of men do so with impunity. Many prostitutes are illegal immigrants who are controlled by brutal criminals from East Europe. We do not need a change in the law to protect these women. Instead, we need the existing laws to be properly enforced and we need our police to take active steps to prosecute all men who exploit women financially, or who employ violence against them. If the laws on prostitution are to change, they should enable women to work openly and freely in safe places and in sufficient numbers to give each other protection. My wife and I recently visited the "red light" district in Amsterdam as part of a guided tour by a former sex worker. It is not the most edifying of places, to put it mildly. However, there were some positive aspects. The women work openly and safely. They must have passports, a precaution which excludes illegal immigrants and their criminal pimps. The police do not tolerate violence against sex workers. And there are excellent health resources on site. Also, there was a refreshing lack of hypocrisy. Whilst I do not advocate red light districts, perhaps our legislators have something to learn from our fellow Europeans when it comes to tackling health and safety issues in the sex industry. Competing interests: None declared |
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