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This study explored the lived experiences of cisgender female sex workers (FSWs) in Kathmandu, Nepal, from human rights, political economy, poverty and structural oppression perspectives. Utilising the purposive snowball sampling method, qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 FSWs. The analysis involving holistic and provisional coding methods helped to identify three themes: (a) entering sex work through employer, (b) cycling in and out of sex work to supplement other income and (c) maintaining sex work through secrecy. These findings contain important implications for policy and practice promoting dignity of and right to self-determination by FSWs.

Even though the majority of intimate partner violence (IPV) incidents remain unreported and unprosecuted, survivors find themselves navigating the legal system. One hundred and two survivors and se...

Six percent of cisgender (i.e. not transgender) women aged 15-44 are considered infertile in the United States, and 12% are unable to carry a pregnancy to term. For those who yearn to create a family despite these circumstances, assisted reproductive technology (ART) is an often-utilised resource. Though faith-based institutions have been referenced as a source of support for involuntarily childless adults, it is unclear how religious doctrine, especially that which prizes 'traditional' gender roles and genetic parenthood, may be a catalyst for distress. More research is needed to understand how the socio-cultural environment affects those who are unable to conceive without assistance. Therefore, the purpose of this research study was to understand the lived experiences of women who have utilised assisted reproduction in a particularly pronatalist, religious cultural context in the United States. From March to September 2017, in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 cisgender women who had utilised ART. Data analysis was conducted in NVivo 10 and consisted of line-by-line analysis, identifying themes, coding categories and developing matrices to uncover relationships between themes and categories. The quest for motherhood was truly a journey for the study participants who experienced rumination and self-blame due to their inability to become pregnant. This was rooted in their socio-cultural context. Thus, the study findings suggest that culture and stigma are linked with women's distress regarding their inability to become pregnant and results in distancing from other women. Genetic parenthood was prized initially, but this desire decreased over time. While past research suggests that infertility strains relationships, our study found that the turmoil of infertility and assisted reproduction actually strengthened couple relationships. Counselling was described as particularly helpful, but it is needed throughout the assisted reproduction process. The inclusion of religion and spirituality, for those who identify as such, in counselling would be beneficial.

This phenomenological study explored compassion fatigue and resiliency factors in animal shelter workers. Compassion fatigue is a phenomenon in which individuals become traumatized through the process of helping others. The sample included seven current and former animal shelter workers. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews to examine general experiences with animal shelter work as well as compassion fatigue. The researchers read the transcripts multiple times and coded the data into themes and sub-themes. Four major themes and five sub-themes emerged from the data. These themes were 1) Intrinsic Motivations including (a) Right reason, (b) Affinity with animals and (c) Attachment to animals; 2) Purpose, including (a) Making a difference and (b) Focusing on the positive; 3) Social supports; and 4) Coping Strategies. The study has important practical implications, including the potential benefits of screening job applicants for intrinsic motivations and fostering positive relationships between coworkers and the animals they work with.

Despite the high incidence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in the United States, perpetrator accountability remains a problem. Research suggests this is partially attributable to underreporting linked to the perceived unhelpfulness of police. The purpose of this research study was to understand survivors and service providers’ lived experiences with police in a mandatory arrest state. Purposive sampling was utilized to conduct in-depth, semi-structured focus groups and interviews with 43 survivors and 59 service providers from March 2016 to February 2017. Data analysis consisted of line-by-line analysis, identifying themes, coding categories, and developing matrices to uncover relationships between themes and categories. Participants deliberated police failure to adequately respond to IPV-related calls. While survivors’ interactions with police were consistently negative, service providers’ experiences were more mixed. Police response was deemed worse in rural areas due to limited capacity and social relationships with perpetrators. Five major themes were identified, including: (1) inadequate police response, (2) amplified hurdles in rural communities, (3) predominant aggressor incongruity, (4) protective orders fail to protect, and (5) Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) working relationships. Mandatory arrest policy sometimes results in the criminalization of survivors. Police require trauma-informed training that will assist in their determination of the predominant aggressor. Findings indicate that the LAP has been effective in strengthening service provider/police relationships, and expansion should be considered. Quantitative and longitudinal research is needed to examine the fidelity of the LAP and its effectiveness in decreasing the incidence of IPV-related homicide.

BACKGROUND As the rate of opioid use in pregnancy escalates, there are a growing number of women diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD) and their newborns being cared for in inpatient settings. PURPOSE In this study, we sought to better understand the experiences of nurses and nursing assistants working with women diagnosed with OUD and their newborns. By identifying the needs of nurses and nursing assistants, the findings from this study may contribute to reductions in stigma and improved patient care. METHODS Nurses and nursing assistants were recruited from a postpartum unit at a large urban hospital in Utah. Participants (n = 30) attended up to 4 semistructured focus groups. We utilized Braun and Clarke's 6-phase approach to thematic analysis to analyze transcribed interviews. FINDINGS/RESULTS Themes identified during the data analysis process included negative feelings and reactions toward patients; preferential concern for the newborn over maternal well-being; and identification of organizational and training needs to overcome these challenges. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE These findings identify strategies for addressing challenges faced by nurses and nursing assistants in caring for women diagnosed with OUD and their newborns. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH Future research should examine the effectiveness of approaches to reduce behaviors influenced by stigma among nurses and nursing assistants working with women diagnosed with OUD and their newborns, as well as employee and patient satisfaction, and long-term health outcomes.

The objective of this qualitative study was to understand Nepali female sex workers' (FSWs) condom negotiation strategies. In 2016, we conducted 30 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with street- and brothel-based FSWs residing in Kathmandu, Nepal. Participants reported that their first entry into sex work typically occurred between the ages of 17-32, and the average duration of women's involvement with sex work was 8 years. FSWs reported high knowledge and awareness of condoms, and many women had used various sexual and reproductive health services. FSWs used three types of negotiation strategies: withholding or refusing sex, providing risk information, and direct request. While some FSWs believed that these strategies were useful and successful, we found that, for some women, condom negotiation strategies were difficult to implement due to fear of abuse and threats of violence by clients. Condom negotiation was further complicated by poverty and substance abuse, and several narratives revealed the influence of gender and social norms on safe sexual practices. The findings highlight the need for improved sexual health interventions that incorporate a range of negotiation strategies and techniques (e.g., nonverbal communication and reward strategies) and aim to mitigate harm and violence against FSWs.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to contribute to the social understanding of stigma as a societal and cultural barrier in the life of a survivor of human trafficking. The findings illustrate several ways where stigma is internal, interpersonal and societal and impacts survivors’ lives, including the care they receive.Design/methodology/approachThis study used qualitative methods. Data collection occurred during 2018 with efforts such as an online survey (n=45), focus groups (two focus groups of seven participants each) and phone interviews (n=6). This study used thematic analysis of qualitative data.FindingsThe research team found that a multiplicity of stigma occurred for the survivors of human trafficking, where stigma occurred across three levels from micro to meso to macro contexts. Using interpretive analysis, the researchers conceptualized how stigma is not singular; rather, it comprises the following: bias in access to care; barriers of shaming, shunning and othering; misidentification and mislabeling; multiple levels of furthering how survivors are deeply misunderstood and a culture of mistrust.Research limitations/implicationsWhile this study was conducted in a single US city, it provides an opportunity to create dialogue and appeal for more research that will contend with a lens of seeing a multiplicity of stigma regardless of the political climate of the context. It was a challenge to recruit survivors to participate in the study. However, survivor voices are present in this study and the impetus of the study’s focus was informed by survivors themselves. Finally, this study is informed by the perspectives of researchers who are not survivors; moreover, collaborating with survivor researchers at the local level was impossible because there were no known survivor researchers available to the team.Practical implicationsThere are clinical responses to the narratives of stigma that impact survivors’ lives, but anti-trafficking response must move beyond individualized expectations to include macro responses that diminish multiple stigmas. The multiplicity in stigmas has meant that, in practice, survivors are invisible at all levels of response from micro, meso to macro contexts. Therefore, this study offers recommendations for how anti-trafficking responders may move beyond a culture of stigma towards a response that addresses how stigma occurs in micro, meso and macro contexts.Social implicationsThe social implications of examining stigma as a multiplicity is central to addressing how stigma continues to be an unresolved issue in anti-trafficking response. Advancing the dynamic needs of survivors both in policy and practice necessitates responding to the multiple and overlapping forms of stigma they face in enduring and exiting exploitative conditions, accessing services and integrating back into the community.Originality/valueThis study offers original analysis of how stigma manifested for the survivors of human trafficking. Building on this dynamic genealogy of scholarship on stigma, this study offers a theory to conceptualize how survivors of human trafficking experience stigma: a multiplicity of stigma. A multiplicity of stigma extends existing research on stigma and human trafficking as occurring across three levels from micro, meso to macro contexts and creating a system of oppression. Stigma cannot be reduced to a singular form; therefore, this study argues that survivors cannot be understood as experiencing a singular form of stigma.

Housing has been identified as critical for survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) to achieve long-term stability, but both individual- and system-level barriers hinder its obtainment. The purpose of this research study was to assess the challenges to service access and service delivery for survivors in Utah. In-depth, semistructured interviews and focus groups were conducted with 102 participants, including 43 survivors and 59 service providers. Data analysis consisted of line-by-line coding, identifying themes, coding categories, and developing matrices to uncover relationships between themes and categories. Overwhelmingly, participants communicated an immense need for emergency shelter upon exit from an abusive relationship, yet reported limited shelter space. Service providers reported that scarce funding coupled with grantor-imposed expectations impede their ability to serve all survivors in need. When turned away from shelter, survivors resorted to staying in a motel, car, homeless shelter, or even returning to the perpetrator. Barriers to obtaining permanent housing included unaffordability, landlord discrimination, and insufficient documentation. Indigenous and immigrant survivors encountered amplified barriers to housing stability. Despite the prominence of Housing First in Utah, survivors were unable to access much needed housing resources. Housing First programs can and should be tailored to meet the unique housing needs of survivors of IPV. Therefore, Housing First eligibility requirements should be adjusted, and a specific number of placements should be reserved for survivors and their children. IPV-related trauma must be understood as multifaceted, and services for survivors should simultaneously target this trauma while meeting basic needs. Future research should examine interventions such as rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing on survivors’ safety and stability in the long-term.

This qualitative study explores the experiences of client-perpetrated violence toward female sex workers in Kathmandu, Nepal. Individual interviews were conducted with 30 female sex workers. Data were analyzed using qualitative coding methods and thematic development. Two main themes emerged. Contexts in which client-perpetrated violence corresponded with (a) conditions associated with exchange of services, and (b) alcohol use. The first theme involved five factors: negotiating condom use, number of clients, requesting payment, length of service time, and negotiating sex acts. Alcohol use by clients and/or sex workers exacerbated violence. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

This study examined surrogate women’s perceptions on the Indian ban on international surrogacy. In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 surrogate women at a fertility clinic in Gujarat, India. Three themes emerged: (1) perceptions of the ban; (2) impact of the ban on surrogates, international couples, and fertility clinics; and (3) long-term economic results of surrogacy. Women stated that international surrogacy should not be banned, because it provides substantial economic benefits. They also noted that the ban affects childless couples and clinics by cutting off a source of income. This research provides recommendations for social work action.

The purpose of this study was to explore surrogate women’s experiences of stress during the surrogacy process in India. We interviewed 15 women who had been a surrogate for an international couple at least once in their lives. The following themes emerged: stress regarding (1) physical health, (2) psychology well-being, and (3) the well-being of surrogates’ families and children. Transnational surrogates may experience more physical and psychological stress during pregnancy because their children and families continue to depend on them for support. Social workers must minimize the physical and emotional effects of surrogacy through counseling and psychosocial support.

This study examined substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health (MH) among survivors of intimate partner violence, with data collected from 102 participants. Both survivors and service providers emphasized SUD and MH as top priorities and reported a high prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem coupled with increasing rates of heroin, methamphetamine, and pharmaceutical abuse. Emergent themes included (a) trauma impacts functioning, (b) substances as coping strategy, (c) weighing safety against need, (d) lacking SUD and MH services, and (e) need for comprehensive and culturally specific resources. Scarcity of funding demands cross-sector collaboration to support survivors.

Survivors of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) are failing to be identified and are frequently criminalized. Examining the linkages between DMST and the juvenile legal system is important, as many trafficked youths are only identified after entry into the child welfare or juvenile court system as a result of being arrested or detained on related delinquency charges. Due to legacies of structural violence, marginalized youths are reluctant to approach police officers for help. Therefore, social workers have an opportunity to identify, intervene, and advocate for trafficked youths. In this article, the author provides an overview of existing research related to the demographic profile of DMST, homelessness and survival sex, recruitment and entry, barriers to effective community response, and prevention and intervention strategies. This article represents a call to broaden our view of young people in the sex trade and supports the decriminalization of trafficked youths. Interventions and policies must be designed to fit their complex needs and experiences, resulting in empowerment, opportunity, and new beginnings.

The onus of sex trafficking victim identification currently falls to professionals in youth-serving organizations. Accurate identification of domestic minor sex trafficking victims (DMST) and subsequent delivery of services can be impeded by common myths related to human trafficking.Determine if human service professionals understand the difference between myths and facts pertaining to sex trafficking and if their knowledge affects subsequent service provision.Professionals (n = 69) represented youth-serving organizations from a large metropolitan city in the Southwestern United States.Data was collected in a cross-sectional survey from March 2016 to April 2016.A minority of professionals working in youth-serving organizations believed DMST myths, though administrators most commonly believed the myth that force, fraud, or coercion are required in DMST. Most professionals could not provide an accurate number of victims identified and felt their organizations would benefit from further training. A statistically significant relationship (p .05) was observed between the belief that "elements of physical force, restraint, bondage, and/or violence" must be present in DMST and participants' ability to identify victims served by their organizations in a given year. Organizations reported that they failed to provide services requested by DMST victims.The persistence of DMST myths likely hampers victim identification and tailored service delivery. Cross-sector collaborations are needed to ensure victims' needs are met. Trainings are needed that cover the legal definitions of domestic minor sex trafficking and victim identification and train on accurate identifiers. Training initiatives should include survivors to ensure practices are trauma-informed.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic content analysis of sex tour websites to understand how sex tours are marketed to potential clients. A total of 380 web pages from 21 sex tour websites were reviewed. The sex tour websites sought to promote privacy and hassle-free travel with a local 'escort' and the opportunity for 'hooks-ups' with no strings attached. Three themes emerged around the description of sex workers: (1) enjoyment and complete acceptance, (2) a 'total girlfriend experience' and (3) exoticisation of the 'Third World' woman. The majority of the sex tourism websites used marketplace mythologies concerning racism, sexism and imperialism to appeal to sex tourists' desires for fantasy experiences, power and domination, and a renewed sense of identity. Legal and STI-related information was largely missing from the websites, and when it was included it was aimed at protecting sex tourists, not sex workers. It is of importance for researchers, social workers and others engaging with sex workers and sexscapes to recognise the power of language, cultural myths and framings and their ability to generate real-world social and health implications.

The purpose of this research study was to conduct a content analysis of commercial surrogacy websites to explore how surrogacy is marketed to intended parents. The researchers developed a template to code website data, and a total of 345 website pages were reviewed. Websites depicted surrogacy as a solution to a problem, privileged genetic parenthood, ignored the potential for exploitation, dismissed surrogates' capacity to bond with the fetuses they carry, emphasized that surrogacy arrangements are mutually beneficial, ignored structural inequalities, and depicted surrogates as conforming to strict gender roles. These framings introduce vulnerabilities to both intended parents and surrogate mothers.

In this qualitative study, in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 surrogates from India. Two themes are discussed: (1) motivations for becoming surrogates and (2) role of family and community in surrogacy. The respondents were illiterate women aged 21–30 years and had been surrogate mothers an average of 2 times. Motivations for surrogacy were financial in nature. Surrogates reported stigma from extended family and community forcing them to leave their homes and relocate after surrogacy. This study recommends counseling and psychosocial support services to women and change in policy to execute a stringent law to protect the rights of surrogates.

More than two in five women have experienced sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in Utah. The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of su...

Kamathipura is considered to be Asia's largest red-light area and is located in Mumbai, India. It has approximately 5,000 sex workers. The majority of the sex workers are trafficked as minors from ...

This research explored intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV risks among female sex workers of Mumbai, India. In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 sex workers to explore their experiences of IPV in the context of commercial sex work. Severe forms of physical, sexual, and emotional violence were reported by sex workers. Outcomes of IPV were inability to negotiate safe sex, substance abuse, and negative perceptions of men. This article also discusses sex workers’ responses and methods of resisting IPV. With increasing HIV infections among sex workers in Mumbai, this study draws attention to the need for field-based, gender-sensitive HIV prevention efforts that incorporate violence prevention.

The purpose of this research study was to examine the relationship between race, ethnicity, foreign-born status, and social capital among single women who use welfare. It was hypothesized that the utilization of various types of social capital would vary by group. This study analyzed Wave 2 (2005–2007) data from the Making Connections Cross-Site Survey database. 1,428 women with no spouse/partner present in the household who indicated use of a TANF/welfare office in the last 12 months were selected for inclusion in the study sample. Structural equation modeling was used to answer this study’s research question. Black women had a higher level of bridging, support giving, and support receiving social capital. Hispanic women had a lower level of bridging social capital. Foreign-born women had a higher level of bonding and value sharing social capital. Implications for policy, social work practice, and research are discussed.

This research study surveyed prospective egg donors at orientation to (a) understand women's motivations to donate eggs, (b) assess awareness and knowledge of egg donation prior to entry into the egg donation program, and (c) explore attitudes toward egg donation. Ninety-two women completed the questionnaire at one fertility clinic located in the Midwest between August 2011 and August 2012. Descriptive and inferential statistics as well as textual analysis were used to analyze the data. Three themes emerged regarding participant motivations: (1) altruistic, (2) financial, and (3) desire to pass on genetic material. The majority of participants were unconcerned with potential physical and psychological side effects; however, differences emerged based on motherhood status and educational level. Although potential donors felt recipients should receive some information about the donor, they tended to value privacy regarding information giving to resultant offspring. This research study has implications for social work practice, policy, and future research. It is crucial that women receive adequate procedural and side effect information prior to engaging in egg donation.

This research study sought to explore the use of emotional imagery and language on popular web sites that target egg donors. The research process included (1) systematic selection of Internet sites most accessible to consumers and (2) a standardized description of each Internet site. From September 1, 2010 to October 1, 2010, the three-member research team gathered and analyzed the content of 19 web sites. Overall, the majority of egg donation web sites utilized emotional imagery and language in their appeals to egg donors. The most common emotional language used was “gift” or “gift of life,” mentioned 16 times on a total of nine web sites. Moreover, three themes emerged pertaining to this emotional language: (1) making dreams come true for reproductively challenged women, (2) giving the gift of life, and (3) life-changing journey for the egg donor. Implications for social work practice, policy, and research are discussed.

This study explores male clients’ perceptions of gender-based violence against female sex workers of the Kamathipura red-light area in Mumbai, India. In-depth interviewing methods were used to collect data from 13 male clients. Three critical themes were identified: (1) male role transitioning from client to intimate partner to pimp; (2) male validation and rationalisation of sex work as a profession; and (3) patriarchal male perceptions resulting in violence against sex workers. Respondents emphasised the importance of legalising sex work so that women from ‘good’ families would not be raped. Respondents also admitted to using physical violence against sex workers on a regular basis. The findings of this study indicate the urgent need for gender sensitisation workshops for male intimate partners to break patriarchal values. Inclusion of males in community-based interventions to combat violence is also highly recommended.

Very little research has been conducted that examines the attitudes toward HIV/AIDS from the perspective of clients of sex workers. This study examined 13 male clients of sex workers through in-depth interviews that aimed to explore their understanding of risks associated with unprotected sex, as well as condom use and attitudes about condoms and HIV/AIDS. The findings suggested that clients of sex workers often have incorrect knowledge about HIV/AIDS. Additionally, differences arose around condom use with sex workers versus intimate partners. Finally, participants were found to deceive sex partners and intimate partners about their HIV/AIDS status. These findings emphasize the importance of more effective HIV/AIDS awareness programming aimed at male clients of sex workers.

Reproductive egg donation is a growing business in the United States, serving an estimated one in five couples who experience reproductive challenges in their lifetime. Reproductive egg agencies are increasingly utilizing the Internet to inform and recruit potential donors. Considerable variability in the portrayals of the medical process, comprehensive disclosure of the medications involved, and the style of appeals employed by such agencies exists on many of the most popular web sites analyzed. This research provides a comprehensive review of the information provided to potential donors. Implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed.

In this qualitative study, 48 female prostitutes from Mumbai, India were interviewed to understand their experiences related to their entry into prostitution. Respondents’ vulnerabilities and the role of family and acquaintances in entry were researched. The findings of the study indicate that poverty, marital abuse, sexual abuse and the death of a parent or husband were the main reasons for entry into prostitution. The majority of the respondents were sold into prostitution by family members or acquaintances. This research provides recommendations for policy, practice and research in the area of sex trafficking.

This article will outline the legislative history of the Global Gag Rule and will describe the key stakeholders responsible for the policy’s passage and promotion. The negative effects associated with the policy’s implementation will be discussed, as well as its implications for human rights discourse and political activism.

This paper will explore a curriculum framework that explicitly addresses the reduction of heterosexism as a means to produce students that are culturally competent of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. Van Den Bergh and Crisp (2004) place great importance on addressing beliefs/attitudes, knowledge, and skills when broaching culturally competent practice with the LGBTQ population. Beliefs/attitudes, knowledge, and skills in an educational approach will be advocated in this paper. Specifically, the creation of a constructivist environment will be endorsed as a means for students to critically assess their own beliefs/attitudes, knowledge, and skills. A curriculum framework that utilizes classroom activities related to heterosexual privilege, policy, and practice role plays will be discussed. This curriculum framework is intended to prepare social work students to work with LGBTQ clients.

Expressions of Drunkenness (Four Hundred Rabbits), prepared by the International Center for Alcohol Policies and DrinkWise Australia, problematizes the term drunkenness, examining the conceptualiza...

This qualitative study explored gender-based violence among female sex workers in India. Ten sex workers from Kamathipura, Asia’s largest red-light area based in Mumbai, were interviewed. Radical sexual pluralist feminist theory informed data analysis and data interpretation. Results revealed high incidence of gender-based violence with sex workers reporting intense physical and sexual violence and coercion from male partners, pimps and clients. The exposure to violence significantly contributed to sex workers’ inability to negotiate safe sex, leading to high HIV risks. The research highlights the lack of a sound policy on sex work in India and the drawbacks of the criminalization of sex work.