Sex Work on the Streets

Book excerpt: * How and why do people sell and buy sex? * What are the risks associated with prostitution? * Should prostitution be legalized? This book is the most detailed study ever provided on street prostitution. It is based on three years' research in which the authors interviewed prostitutes and their clients and spent many months working in a red light area. The book makes extensive use of direct quotes from the women and the men, as well as fieldnotes from the authors based upon their observations in the red light area. Topics covered in the book include the women's negotiations with clients, HIV, drug use and violence. The book also describes the impact of working as a prostitute on women's home life. No attempt is made to moralise about prostitution in the book, instead the authors concentrate on the experiences of the women and men involved in selling and buying sex, and describe prostitution from their standpoint. Sex Work on the Streets will be of interest to a wide range of students and researchers in sociology, social policy, criminology and women's studies.