Trans Street Prostitution

Now:

Even today, less is known about transgender streetwalkers, as compared to cis-male and -female street prostitutes, as scholarly interest on the subject only began to emerge in the past fifteen years. Comparatively, little research has been done into the characteristics specific to transgender prostitutes, including their demographics, their entryways into prostitution, and their experiences in the sex industry. Researchers have focused primarily on risky sexual behavior and discovered that there is an elevated prevalence of HIV among transgender street prostitutes. While many streetwalkers engage in risky sexual behavior and are at risk for infection from receptive and unprotected intercourse with many partners, transgender prostitutes are also at risk from unsafe needle injections associated not only with drug use, but also with the hormone therapy necessary to maintain certain physical characteristics. Subsequently, transgender streetwalkers report significantly higher rates of HIV infection as compared to cisgender streetwalkers. As of 2011, 40% of the transgender streetwalking population in Miami are HIV positive, 32% in Washington, D.C., 26-48% in San Francisco, and 68% in Atlanta. [2] These statistics demonstrate the intersecting consequences the illegality of prostitution and a health care system that leaves millions uninsured have for those who work in the sex industry, especially those who are transgendered.