AEGiS-14IAC: The impact of early childhood trauma in high-risk sexual behavior among sex workers.

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

The impact of early childhood trauma in high-risk sexual behavior among sex workers.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. D11158)

Ilina SV
AIDS Foundation East-West/Psychological Institute of Russian Academy of Education, Moscow, Russian Federation

OBJECTIVES: To research the child emotional experience and personality structure of female sex workers (SW) and to establish the relationship with the practice of high-risk behaviors.

METHODS: Research was conducted among 150 women working in Moscow's street sex business. The women interviewed were between the ages of 15 and 28. The data were compared with the sample of women-outpatients of psychiatric hospital.

RESULTS: SW more often than women-outpatients experienced child sexual abuse, divorce of parents and lived with a relative with drug/alcohol addiction. One special characteristic of their early experience was the loss of their mother (33,4%). Body ego image is strongly distorted as a result of violence; human drawings lack important parts, and have penetrated borders. They paid special attention to the genital area. Many of them refused to draw any sex details such as breasts. Defense mechanisms include denial and devaluation but not idealization. Self-perception is characterized by feelings of loneliness, helplessness, dependency, fragility, passivity and weakness. Other people are perceived as aggressive, strong and dangerous. Common traits of Minnesota Multifactorial Personality Inventory profile were distrust, suspicion, difficulties in controlling actions and behavior and impulsive decision-making. Within this group, we identified a sub-group of women who behaved more as victims and continued to work even while they had an infection (38% of sample). This "double risk" group has a lower level of anxiety and has not been subjected to sexual abuse at work.

CONCLUSIONS: Early traumatic experience, especially child sexual abuse and the loss of mother, coralates with engaging in prostitution in later life. Some SWs are inclined to engage in more risky behavior, even working if they have an infection. They are the main"risk group" for becoming infected with HIV need the attention of prevention work specialists.

Keywords: AEGIS, Prostitution, Child Abuse, Sexual, HIV Infections, Sex Offenses, HIV Seropositivity, Violence, Moscow, Minnesota, Human, Female, Child, injuries

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