Perceived health needs of inner-city street prostitutes: A preliminary study

Objective: To survey inner-city prostitutes' perceived health needs. Methods: One hundred forty street prostitutes Washington DC, were surveyed to determine their perceived health needs, in addition to levels of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Results: The final sample comprised 100 individuals, representing 3 subgroups of prostitutes, female, male, and transgender male. Major health needs included protection from physical and sexual assault, social support, counseling, addictions treatment, job training, and medical care. Over 42% of the population was identified as meeting established criteria for PTSD, Conclusion: Effective program development for inner-city prostitutes needs to acknowledge the presence of distinct subpopulations and the pervasive influence of PTSD on health status.