Who works in the sex industry? A profile of female prostitutes in Victoria

A large-scale survey was conducted to obtain a comprehensive picture of the range of women involved in prostitution in Victoria and to document their concerns about health in relation to sex work. There was considerable diversity in the ages, education levels, family situations and attitudes to sex work among women working mainly in the legal brothels in Victoria. While their practices in client-worker interactions were low-risk for human immunodeficiency virus and other sexually transmitted diseases, many of the women were more at risk from unprotected sex with private partners and some were more at risk from injecting drug use. Most women reported economic reasons for entering the sex industry and cited problems associated with male clients as the worst aspects. Effective health interventions should be devised and aimed at specific sub-populations of these (and other) sex workers.