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A Descriptive Profile of Abused Female Sex Workers in India Panchanadeswaran, Subadra; Johnson, Sethulakshmi C.; Sivaram, Sudha; Srikrishnan, A K.; Zelaya, Carla; Solomon, Suniti; Go, Vivian F. & Celentano, David Abstract This descriptive study presents the profiles of abused female sex workers (FSWs) in Chennai, India. Of 100 abused FSWs surveyed using a structured questionnaire, severe forms of violence by intimate partners were reported by most (98%) respondents. Of the total sample, 76% experienced violence by clients. Sexual coercion experiences of the FSWs included verbal threats (77%) and physical force (87%) by intimate part-ners and forced unwanted sexual acts (73%) by clients. While 39% of the women consumed alcohol before meeting a client, 26% reported that their drunkenness was a trigger for violence by clients. The findings suggest that there is an urgent need to integrate services, along with public-health interventions among FSWs to protect them from violence. Recognition of multiple identities of women in the contexts of inti-mate relationships versus sex work is vital in helping women to stay safe from adverse effects on health. Keywords Descriptive studies; HIV; Spouse abuse; Violence; Violence against women; India

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