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Research Blog #1: Finding and Understanding Your Sources
Research question
Could legally recognizing female sex work in Florida reduce the incidence of sexual diseases in this population due to free access to the health system?
Could legally recognizing female sex work in Florida increase the sexual health indicator of this population due to free access to the health system?
Bias questions
Can the quality of life of female sex workers be improved by allowing free access to the health system?
Could legalizing female sex work improve the quality of life of this population?
Could sexually transmitted diseases be preventable in sex workers if they have access to sex education?
Would the legalization of female sex work offer health resources for STD evaluation?
Rhetorical summary
Source 1
Link:
Author (s): Sawicki et al
Year: 2019
Tittle: Culturally Competent Health Care for Sex Workers: An Examination of Myths That Stigmatize Sex-Work and Hinder Access to Care.
In the first source, Sawicki et al. (2019) sought to examine the myths that prevent sex workers from access healthcare due to stigmatization. The authors highlight the issues surrounding the provision of quality care for sex workers. The genre of the article is academic research. The audience is targeted at researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. The purpose of the article is to examine the myths that lead to the stigmatization of sex work preventing sex workers from accessing care and to advocate for culturally competent health care for this population (Sawicki et al., 2019).
Source 2
Link:
Author (s): Platt et al
Year: 2018
Tittle: Associations between sex work laws and sex workers’ health: A systematic review and meta-analysis of quantitative and qualitative studies.
In the second source, Platt et al. (2018) comprehensively reviewed the existing literature on the association between sex work laws and sex workers' health. The genre of the source is academic research. The audience for this source is primarily medical professionals, researchers, and policymakers. The purpose of the article is to present a comprehensive overview of the existing literature on the subject and to inform policy decisions that impact the health of sex workers.
Sources Summary
The first source argues that the stigma against sex work prevents sex workers to access to health care services. In some ways, it advocates for sex workers to access culturally competent care, which is in line with what has been learned on the topic. Equal rights for sex workers are important as they are humans and should receive care services just like any other person (Welch, 2021). In the second source, the authors conducted a meta-analysis and systematic review of existing research on the relationship between sex work laws and sex workers' health. The authors found that laws governing sex work have a significant impact on determining sex workers’ 25health outcomes. Criminalization of sex work is associated with a greater risk of violent attacks and negative health outcomes (Argento et al., 2020).
Research questions: source 1
The questions to be answered are: What are the current benefits available to sex workers as professionals? How does stigmatization affect the lives of sex workers? What are some potential barriers or challenges to treating sex workers? What resources can be used to support sex workers? This source answers the questions fairly because it addresses the impact of the stigma surrounding sex work on the access to healthcare services for sex workers (West et al., 2021). Additionally, it gives recommendations for the promotion of culturally competent care for all.
This source is useful for answering the research question because it provides insight into the importance of according sex workers' competent healthcare services. The source focuses on the issue of stigma and how it affects health services provision for sex workers and what can be done to provide quality and fair treatment for sex workers (Sawicki et al., 2019). Legalization of sex work can lead to improved health outcomes and access to healthcare services.
This source does not discuss sex workers in Florida, and neither does it discuss sexual health in terms of diseases. The new and surprising information that came up in this source is the extent to which sex work should be understood and not just prostitutes (Sawicki et al., 2019). Additionally, it highlights that even economic and political factors in the use have contributed to the challenges that sex workers face.
Research questions: source 2
The authors found that decriminalization or legalization of sex work is associated with improved access to healthcare services and reduced risks of sexually transmitted infections (Platt et al., 2018). This source provides evidence that recognizing female sex work in Florida would allow women in this industry to access the health system and improve their sexual health. (b) The authors found that the criminalizing sex work exposes sex workers to increases the risk of violent attacks and poor health outcomes.
This source is particularly useful for answering the research questions because it provides a comprehensive review of the existing literature on the subject and draws conclusions based on a review of multiple studies (Platt et al., 2018). The authors have also used a meta-analysis to combine the results of multiple studies, providing a more robust analysis of the data. The focus of this source is the relationship between laws governing sex work and sex workers' health outcomes. The authors aim to analyze the findings of previous studies on the topic and draw conclusions based on the data they analyzed (Platt et al., 2018).
This source does not discuss the broader social and economic implications of recognizing female sex work in Florida. The authors have focused specifically on the health outcomes of sex workers rather than the broader social and economic implications of sex work recognition (Welch, 2021). One surprising finding from this source was the association between the criminalizing sex work and greater risk of sex workers being violently attacked and negative health outcomes. This highlights the importance of recognizing female sex work in Florida to improve the safety and health of women in this industry.
Topic summary
Based on the research thus far, the lessons taken by the student are that sex workers can highly benefit from having free access to healthcare services and that discrimination affects their profession and themselves in social life (Sawicki et al., 2019). However, the confusing part still is about how recognizing sex work would affect the stigma surrounding this industry and how the safety of sex workers can be guaranteed. The remaining question is on the sexual health of sex workers.
The questions asked now include: what are the potential challenges and drawbacks of recognizing sex work, and how can these be addressed? And what is the status of sex workers in other states? Next, a person would want to compare the status of sex workers in different states, which can help understand the differences in the challenges faced by sex workers across different states (Welch, 2021). This information can be vital in policy implementation.
Overall, the student understands that recognizing female sex work in Florida could have positive impacts on the sexual health of this population (West et al., 2021). However, there are still some potential challenges that need to be addressed. The most interesting aspect of the topic is exploring the potential benefits of recognizing sex work and how it could improve the lives of female workers in this industry.
References
Argento, E., Goldenberg, S., Braschel, M., Machat, S., Strathdee, S. A., & Shannon, K. (2020). The impact of end-demand legislation on sex workers' access to health and sex worker-led services: A community-based prospective cohort study in Canada. PloS One, 15(4), e0225783.
Platt, L., Grenfell, P., Meiksin, R., Elmes, J., Sherman, S. G., Sanders, T., … & Crago, A. L. (2018). Associations between sex work laws and sex workers' health: A systematic review and meta-analysis of quantitative and qualitative studies. PLoS Medicine, 15(12), e1002680.
Sawicki, D. A., Meffert, B. N., Read, K., & Heinz, A. J. (2019). Culturally competent health care for sex workers: an examination of myths that stigmatize sex work and hinder access to care. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 34(3), 355-371.
Welch, B. M. (2021). Public Health and Sex Work: Using History to Motivate Change. Journal of Legal Medicine, 41(1-2), 95-108.
West, B. S., Liz Hilton and Empower Thailand, Montgomery, A. M., & Ebben, A. R. (2021). Reimagining sex work venues: Occupational health, safety, and rights in indoor workplaces. Sex Work, Health, and Human Rights: Global Inequities, Challenges, and Opportunities for Action, 207-230.
