Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34702782›Full record

ArticleSexually transmitted infections2022

Effect of police enforcement and extreme social inequalities on violence and mental health among women who sell sex: findings from a cohort study in London, UK.

Jocelyn Elmes, Rachel Stuart, Pippa Grenfell, Josephine Walker, Kathleen Hill, Paz Hernandez, Carolyn Henham, Sibongile Rutsito, M D Sarker, Sarah Creighton and 4 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Sexually transmitted infections, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
4.9field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 27 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Health inequities faced by sex workers.The Lancet. Public health · 2026
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors at 8 institutions in 1 country.

Jocelyn ElmesFaculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Rachel StuartUniversity of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
Pippa GrenfellFaculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Josephine WalkerUniversity of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Kathleen HillCoventry University, Coventry, UK.
Paz HernandezHomerton University Hospital, London, UK.
Carolyn HenhamFaculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Sibongile RutsitoUniversity of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
M D SarkerFaculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Sarah CreightonHomerton University Hospital, London, UK.
Chrissy BrowneBarts Health NHS Trust, London, UK.
Marie-Claude BoilyInfectious Diseases Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Peter VickermanUniversity of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Lucy PlattFaculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK lucy.platt@lshtm.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-0943-0045
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GBHomerton University Hospital · GBUniversity of Bristol · GBBarts Health NHS Trust · GBCoventry University · GBImperial College London · GBUniversity of Kent · GBUniversity of Leeds · GB

Funding

Department of Health PHR 15/55/58Medical Research Council MR/R015600/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo examine legal and social determinants of violence, anxiety/depression among sex workers.

methodsA participatory prospective cohort study among women (inclusive of transgender) ≥18 years, selling sex in the last 3 months in London between 2018 and 2019. We used logistic generalised estimating equation models to measure associations between structural factors on recent (6 months) violence from clients or others (local residents, strangers), depression/anxiety (Patient Health Questionnaire-4).

results197 sex workers were recruited (96% cisgender-women; 46% street-based; 54% off-street) and 60% completed a follow-up questionnaire. Street-based sex workers experienced greater inequalities compared with off-street in relation to recent violence from clients (73% vs 36%); police (42% vs 7%); intimate partner violence (IPV) (56% vs 18%) and others (67% vs 17%), as well as homelessness (65% vs 7%) and recent law enforcement (87% vs 9%). Prevalence of any STI was 17.5% (17/97). For street-based sex workers, recent arrest was associated with violence from others (adjusted OR (aOR) 2.77; 95% CI 1.11 to 6.94) and displacement by police was associated with client violence (aOR 4.35; 95% CI 1.36 to 13.90). Financial difficulties were also associated with client violence (aOR 4.66; 95% CI 1.64 to 13.24). Disability (aOR 3.85; 95% CI 1.49 to 9.95) and client violence (aOR 2.55; 95% CI 1.10 to 5.91) were associated with anxiety/depression. For off-street sex workers, financial difficulties (aOR 3.66; 95% CI 1.64 to 8.18), unstable residency (aOR 3.19; 95% CI 1.36 to 7.49), IPV (aOR 3.77; 95% CI 1.30 to 11.00) and alcohol/drug use were associated with client violence (aOR 3.16; 95% CI 1.26 to 7.92), while always screening and refusing clients was protective (aOR 0.36; 95% CI 0.15 to 0.87). Disability (aOR 5.83; 95% CI 2.34 to 14.51), unmet mental health needs (aOR 3.08; 95% CI 1.15 to 8.23) and past eviction (aOR 3.99; 95% CI 1.23 to 12.92) were associated with anxiety/depression.

conclusionsViolence, anxiety/depression are linked to poverty, unstable housing and police enforcement. We need to modify laws to allow sex workers to work safely and increase availability of housing and mental health services.

Indexed as

Intimate Partner ViolenceSex WorkersCohort StudiesFemaleHumansLondonMental HealthPoliceProspective StudiesRisk FactorsSocioeconomic FactorsViolenceepidemiologysexual healthsex work

Identifiers

PMID34702782
PMCPMC9340007
OpenAlexW3183390176

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.