How can general practice respond to the needs of street-based prostitutes?

Abstract

The 2015 RCGP publication Health Inequalities 1 reflected on evidence from the 2010 Marmot Review, 2 which concluded that, in England, people living in the poorest neighbourhoods will, on average, die 7 years earlier than people living in the richest. Furthermore, the average difference in disability-free life is 17 years; thus, people in poorer areas not only die sooner, but they will also spend more of their shorter lives with a disability. SPECIFIC NEEDS OF WOMEN INVOLVED IN SBPHealth inequalities are not simply a difference in health outcomes, but also a difference in health outcomes combined with barriers to accessing the healthcare system. In addition to physical barriers such as opening hours, location, and transport, there are other barriers contributing to this exclusion, including patient perceptions of services and expectations of what will be offered if they seek help, staff attitudes to patients, and communication difficulties.Women involved in street-based prostitution (SBP) are an underserved group and their health is a source of international concern.3 These women are a high-risk population, and street-based workers are at greater risk than their parlourbased counterparts due to an increased prevalence of intravenous drug use and poorer engagement with health care.