Health Situation Among Women Experiencing Homelessness Who Have Been Involved in Prostitution

Abstract

People in a homeless situation are one of the most obvious embodiments of the phenomenon of social exclusion, and women living homeless are a particularly vulnerable group. The article analyses the differences in health status between women experiencing homelessness who have been involved in prostitution and those who have not. The sample consisted of 135 women experiencing homelessness in Madrid, Spain. From the total sample interviewed, 81% had never been involved in prostitution, while 19% had been in this situation at some point in their lives. The results obtained show that women experiencing homelessness who have been involved in prostitution had poorer health outcomes, with a higher prevalence of diagnosed serious or chronic illnesses and more mental health problems, compared to women experiencing homelessness who had not been involved in prostitution. Considering that health problems most severely affect women experiencing homelessness who have also been involved in prostitution, it seems necessary to design and implement public policies and intervention programmes with a gender-sensitive approach that are accessible to women in situations of extreme vulnerability.