An exploratory study of the health problems, stigmatization, life satisfaction, and literacy skills of urban, street-level sex workers.

An exploratory study of 26 female urban, street-level sex workers was conducted to gather information about their health problems, feelings of stigmatizations, satisfaction with life, and literacy skills. Each woman completed the health questionnaire, Stigmatization Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine. Twenty-one women had acute or chronic health problems; only eleven sought health care. Literacy scores revealed 7th to 8th grade reading levels. Feelings of stigmatization varied from low to high and all the women were found to be dissatisfied with their lives. Further research needs to address how these factors affect their use of health care and outreach services.