Experience of intimate partner violence among women in sex work in baltimore city

Female sex workers are increasingly found to experience high levels of violence, including that from intimate partners. This study describes the nature and context of intimate partner violence in a convenience sample of women in sex work in Baltimore, MD. Participants (n=35) completed an in-depth interview and brief survey in 2012. Interviews were transcribed and themes were developed and coded in Atlas.ti using a grounded theory approach. Women in this sample were aged 20 to 54, and most were African American (57%) or white (37%). Most women in the sample had a non-paying partner; survey results showed that 12% of women experienced physical violence and 9% experienced sexual violence perpetrated by an intimate partner in the past month. An overwhelming theme in the interviews was that intimate partner violence was closely linked with sex work. Another theme that emerged was that partners did not acknowledge women's sex work until they were caught with clients, even though the women were financially supporting the couple without a formal job. Physical violence sometimes occurred when partners discovered evidence of their involvement in sex work. Violence also occurred when women refused to work, and occasionally partners fought with women with the intention of prompting them to work, typically in cases in which sex work supported both of their drug habits. This study underscores the importance of domestic violence services targeting sex workers that are sensitive and responsive to the unique relationship dynamics that can co-occur with involvement in sex work.