Page 236 - Cultural Theory

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••• Feminist Knowledge and Socio-cultural Research •••

Another key issue that emerged was the importance given to condom use:

At the end of the day you’ve got to go home and kiss your kids – no sex with-
out condoms. Is that bit extra worth your life? Always wear condoms.
(ibid.: 154)

The group felt that some of the images that emerged could be used as public health
leaflets promoting safety and sexual health. One woman’s ‘tips of the trade’ artwork
is a particularly striking image that would be useful for women and safe sexual
health/peer education projects. This is also a way of educating clients, many of
whom ask for unprotected sex.
Some women also talked about other ‘options’ and exiting sex work. One woman
went for careers advice mentioning her criminal record – the woman advising her
was very unprofessional and insensitive. ‘She might as well have said to the whole
room, she’s been a prostitute. You just get fed up with it when your older, you just
don’t want it.’ This woman talked about splitting off sex in work, and work generally
from home and the rest of life. She wants to move out in two years but wants to start
thinking about what she wants to do and undertake some training for another job.
‘It’s hard to get out, I’ve done nothing else really’ (ibid.: 154)

Figure 11.5 ‘Job application’
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