ArticleThe International journal on drug policy2014
Police sexual coercion and its association with risky sex work and substance use behaviors among female sex workers in St. Petersburg and Orenburg, Russia.
Article in The International journal on drug policy, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 46 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
46 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 91 citations in OpenAlex.
- Global Prevalence of Sexual Violence Among Cisgender Female Sex Workers: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Archives of sexual behavior · 2026Pooled it
- Associations between sex work laws and sex workers' health: A systematic review and meta-analysis of quantitative and qualitative studies.PLoS medicine · 2018Pooled it
- Prevalence of Alcohol Use, Sexual Risk Behavior, and HIV Among Russians in High-Risk Settings: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of behavioral medicine · 2017Pooled it
- Policing practices as a structural determinant for HIV among sex workers: a systematic review of empirical findings.Journal of the International AIDS Society · 2016Pooled it
- A systematic review of the correlates of violence against sex workers.American journal of public health · 2014Pooled it
- Trial
- Correlates of Client-Perpetrated Violence Against Female Sex Workers in Bogotá.Violence against women · 2024Article
- Criminalization and coercion: sexual encounters with police among a longitudinal cohort of women who exchange sex in Baltimore, Maryland.Harm reduction journal · 2023Article
- Article
- Female sex workers and police violence during the Covid-19 health crisis in 2020-2021: results from the EPIC multi-country community-based research program in Argentina.Harm reduction journal · 2022Article
- Violence, policing, and systemic racism as structural barriers to substance use treatment amongst women sex workers who use drugs: Findings of a community-based cohort in Vancouver, Canada (2010-2019).Drug and alcohol dependence · 2022Article
- Typologies and Correlates of Police Violence Against Female Sex Workers Who Inject Drugs at the México-United States Border: Limits ofJournal of interpersonal violence · 2022Article
- Prevalence and Correlates of Sexual Violence Experienced by Female Sex Workers in Iran: Results from a National HIV Bio-Behavioral Surveillance Survey.Violence against women · 2022Article
- Gender Dynamics in Substance Use and Treatment: A Women's Focused Approach.The Medical clinics of North America · 2022Review
- Rapid situational assessment of people who inject drugs (PWID) in Nairobi and coastal regions of Kenya: a respondent driven sampling survey.BMC public health · 2021Article
- Polyvictimization Among Russian Sex Workers: Intimate Partner, Police, and Pimp Violence Cluster With Client Violence.Journal of interpersonal violence · 2021Article
- Violence, HIV Risks, and Polysubstance Use Among HIV-Positive People Who Inject Drugs in Ukraine.AIDS and behavior · 2021Article
- Mobility study of young women who exchange sex for money or commodities using Google Maps and qualitative methods in Kampala, Uganda.BMJ open · 2021Article
- Intersectional structural vulnerability to abusive policing among people who inject drugs: A mixed methods assessment in California's central valley.The International journal on drug policy · 2021Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundExtensive research documents that female sex workers (FSWs) in Russia are very vulnerable to abuses from police, including police sexual coercion. However, despite qualitative data suggesting abusive policing practices are more likely for FSWs contending with substance abuse issues and risky sex work contexts, there is a paucity of quantitative study evaluating these associations specifically in terms of police sexual coercion. Such research is needed to guide structural interventions to improve health and safety for FSWs in Russia and globally.
objectiveThe purpose of this study is to assess the prevalence of police sexual coercion among FSWs from two Russian cities, St. Petersburg and Orenburg, and to determine whether riskier sex work behaviors and contexts and substance use behaviors, including both IDU and risky alcohol use, are associated with increased risk for sexual coercion from police.
methodFSWs in St. Petersburg and Orenburg were recruited via time-location and convenience sampling and completed structured surveys on demographics (age, education), sex work risks (e.g., violence during sex work) and substance use. Logistic regression analyses assessed associations of substance use and risky sex work with police sexual coercion, adjusting for demographics.
resultsParticipants (N=896) were aged 15 and older (94% were 20+ years). Most (69%) reported past year binge alcohol use, and 48% reported IDU the day before. Half (56%) reported 4+ clients per day. Rape during sex work ever was reported by 64%. Police sexual coercion in the past 12 months was reported by 38%. In the multivariate model, both current IDU (AOR=2.09, CI=1.45-3.02) and past year binge alcohol use (AOR=1.46, CI=1.03-2.07) were associated with police sexual coercion, as was selling sex on the street (not in venues) (AOR=7.81, CI=4.53-13.48) and rape during sex work (AOR=2.04, CI=1.43-2.92).
conclusionCurrent findings document the substantial role police sexual violence plays in the lives of FSWs in Russia. These findings also highlight heightened vulnerability to such violence among self-managed and substance abusing FSWs in this context. Structural interventions addressing police violence against FSWs may be useful to improve the health and safety of this population.
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