Female sex workers and police violence during the Covid-19 health crisis in 2020-2021: results from the EPIC multi-country community-based research program in Argentina

Female sex workers (FSW) have been disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. Data show increases of police violence toward key populations (KP), likely a consequence of their role in enforcing health government measures. This study aimed to identify factors associated with police violence...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Harm reduction journal Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 139 - 10
Main Authors:	Aristegui, I, Castro Avila, J, Villes, V, Delabre, R M, Orellano, G, Aguilera, M, Romero, M, Riegel, L, Kretzer, L, Cardozo, N, Radusky, P D, Rojas Castro, D
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	England BioMed Central Ltd 12-12-2022 BioMed Central BMC
Subjects:	Adult Aggression Argentina Community-based organizations Coronaviruses COVID-19 Criminalization Crises Cross-Sectional Studies Discrimination Discrimination in medical care Disease transmission Fear Female Female sex worker Harm reduction Health aspects Health services HIV HIV Infections HIV Infections - epidemiology Human immunodeficiency virus Human rights Human trafficking Humans Life Sciences Medical personnel Medical research Pandemics Police Police brutality Police violence Prevention Prostitutes Prostitution Questionnaires Regression analysis Regression models Risk factors Security Security forces Sex industry Sex Workers Social aspects Social distancing Statistics Stigma Violence Workers Argentina Female sex worker Police violence Argentina Covid-19 Community-based organizations
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Summary:	Female sex workers (FSW) have been disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. Data show increases of police violence toward key populations (KP), likely a consequence of their role in enforcing health government measures. This study aimed to identify factors associated with police violence experienced by FSW during the Covid-19 crisis in Argentina. EPIC is a multi-country, cross-sectional, community-based research program evaluating the impact of Covid-19 among KP. In Argentina, the study was conducted in collaboration with FSW community-based organizations (CBO). Participants completed an online survey (October 2020-April 2021). Police violence was measured as having experienced episodes of violence (physical, verbal, psychological or sexual) by security forces since the start of the health crisis. Factors associated with police violence were assessed in logistic regression models. Among 173 respondents, median age was 34 [IQR 27-42], 39.3% were transgender women (TW), 78.1% declared sex work as their only income and 71.7% mentioned their financial situation has deteriorated with the health crisis. Nearly half of FSW (44.5%) reported experiencing police violence within the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, and among them, 76.6% declared more frequent violence episodes since the beginning of the health crisis. After adjustment for age, being a TW (aOR [95% CI] = 2.71 [1.21;6.05]), reporting non-injection drug use (2.92 [1.02;8.36]), having a considerably deteriorated financial situation (3.67 [1.47;9.21]), having had a consultation with a CBO worker for medical care/treatments (5.56 [2.15;14.37]) and declaring fear or experiences of discrimination by physicians/other health workers (2.97 [1.21;7.29]), since the beginning of the Covid-19 health crisis, were independently associated with police violence. FSW in Argentina have experienced an increase in police violence since the beginning of the health crisis. Belonging to multiple KP (FSW, TW, people who use drugs) increases the likelihood of experiencing police violence, highlighting the need of an intersectional approach to develop interventions to reduce stigma and violence against FSW. CBOs have provided essential support and services during the crisis to FSWs, and other KPs, who may have avoided traditional healthcare structures due to fear or experiences of discrimination.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 PMCID: PMC9742027
ISSN:	1477-7517 1477-7517
DOI:	10.1186/s12954-022-00714-5