ArticleHarm reduction journal2022
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.
Article in Harm reduction journal, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review of infectious disease outbreaks and violence against women and girls: changes in magnitude, mechanisms and lessons for the future.BMJ global health · 2026Pooled it
- Mapping definitions and measures of police violence in health literature: a scoping review.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Violence against female sex workers in the state of Piauí, Brazil - a cross-sectional study.Scientific reports · 2025Observational
- The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Lockdowns on Sex Workers in West Bengal, India.Journal of community health · 2025Article
- Impact of COVID-19 on key populations and people living with HIV: recommendations and sociopolitical responses from the EPIC community research program in Latin America.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Disproportionate, differential and targeted treatment: people who use drugs' experiences of policing during the COVID-19 pandemic.Health & justice · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
13 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFemale sex workers (FSW) have been disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. Data show increases of police violence toward key populations (KP), likely a consequence of their role in enforcing health government measures. This study aimed to identify factors associated with police violence experienced by FSW during the Covid-19 crisis in Argentina.
methodsEPIC is a multi-country, cross-sectional, community-based research program evaluating the impact of Covid-19 among KP. In Argentina, the study was conducted in collaboration with FSW community-based organizations (CBO). Participants completed an online survey (October 2020-April 2021). Police violence was measured as having experienced episodes of violence (physical, verbal, psychological or sexual) by security forces since the start of the health crisis. Factors associated with police violence were assessed in logistic regression models.
resultsAmong 173 respondents, median age was 34 [IQR 27-42], 39.3% were transgender women (TW), 78.1% declared sex work as their only income and 71.7% mentioned their financial situation has deteriorated with the health crisis. Nearly half of FSW (44.5%) reported experiencing police violence within the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, and among them, 76.6% declared more frequent violence episodes since the beginning of the health crisis. After adjustment for age, being a TW (aOR [95% CI] = 2.71 [1.21;6.05]), reporting non-injection drug use (2.92 [1.02;8.36]), having a considerably deteriorated financial situation (3.67 [1.47;9.21]), having had a consultation with a CBO worker for medical care/treatments (5.56 [2.15;14.37]) and declaring fear or experiences of discrimination by physicians/other health workers (2.97 [1.21;7.29]), since the beginning of the Covid-19 health crisis, were independently associated with police violence.
conclusionsFSW in Argentina have experienced an increase in police violence since the beginning of the health crisis. Belonging to multiple KP (FSW, TW, people who use drugs) increases the likelihood of experiencing police violence, highlighting the need of an intersectional approach to develop interventions to reduce stigma and violence against FSW. CBOs have provided essential support and services during the crisis to FSWs, and other KPs, who may have avoided traditional healthcare structures due to fear or experiences of discrimination.
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