Major financial problems, low mental well-being and reduced HIV/STI testing among sex workers in the Netherlands during the COVID-19 pandemic: a repeated cross-sectional survey
Objectives To determine associations between the banning of sex work during the COVID-19 pandemic, and work, financial problems, mental well-being and HIV/sexually transmittable infection (STI) testing among sex workers in the Netherlands. - Design Two cross-sectional online surveys. The first surve...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article (Journal) |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2024
|
| In: |
BMJ open
Year: 2024, Volume: 14, Issue: 10, Pages: 1-10 |
| ISSN: | 2044-6055 |
| DOI: | 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-085202 |
| Online Access: | Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-085202 Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/14/10/e085202 
|
| Author Notes: | Mariëlle Kloek, Daphne van Wees, Jane Bakker, Mischa Tyd, Julia Raxon Rosales, Tomas Geling, Evelien Spek, Jan A. C. Hontelez |
| Summary: | Objectives To determine associations between the banning of sex work during the COVID-19 pandemic, and work, financial problems, mental well-being and HIV/sexually transmittable infection (STI) testing among sex workers in the Netherlands. - Design Two cross-sectional online surveys. The first survey covered two time-periods: pre-COVID-19 (1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019) and period 1 (15 March 2020 to 1 July 2020). The second survey covered period 2 (1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021). - Setting The Netherlands - Participants In total, 106 (first survey) and 196 (second survey) sex workers participated. Most of the participants in the first and second survey were cisgender women (respectively, 76.4% and 66.5%), followed by cisgender men (respectively, 12.3% and 15.7%) and the combination of transgender men, transgender women, non-binary or other (respectively, 11.3% and 17.6%). Most participants were born in the Netherlands (respectively, 61.4% and 69.7%). - Primary and secondary outcome measures We provide descriptive statistics of self-reported work during and prior to COVID-19 measures, financial problems due to COVID-19 measures and HIV/STI testing and mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also performed logistic and linear regression analyses to identify risk factors associated with reporting financial problems due to COVID-19 measures, not testing for HIV/STIs and lower mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. - Results In periods 1 and 2, respectively, 69.6% and 62.0% reported financial problems due to the COVID-19 measures. Among those who reported to have had sex with clients, the percentage not HIV/STI testing was: 4.5% (95% CI: 0.9; 12.5) pre-COVID-19, 28.2% (95% CI: 15.0; 44.9) in period 1, and 15.2% (95% CI: 9.7; 22.3) in period 2. In the multivariate analysis, reported financial problems due to the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with not HIV/STI testing (OR: 12.1, p<0.001) and lower mental well-being (B: −2.7, p<0.001). - Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic control measures in the Netherlands were associated with major financial problems, low mental well-being and reduced HIV/STI testing among sex workers. |
|---|---|
| Item Description: | Online veröffentlicht: 23. Oktober 2024 Enthält zusätzlich eine Datei mit ergänzendem Material Gesehen am 25.06.2025 |
| Physical Description: | Online Resource |
| ISSN: | 2044-6055 |
| DOI: | 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-085202 |