American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research
Volume 23, Issue 1, 2016, Pages 65-104

The prostitution and trafficking of american indian/alaska native women in minnesota (Article) (Open Access)

Farley M.* , Deer S. , Golding J.M. , Matthews N. , Lopez G. , Stark C. , Hudon E.
  • a Prostitution Research and Education, San Francisco, CA, United States
  • b William Mitchell College of Law, St. PaulMN, United States
  • c Institute for Health and Aging, University of California, San Francisco, United States
  • d Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition, United States
  • e Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition, United States
  • f Minneapolis, MN, United States
  • g Minneapolis, MN, United States

Abstract

We examined social and physical violence experienced by American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) women in prostitution and their impacts on the mental and physical health of 105 women (81% Anishinaabe, mean age = 35 years) recruited through service agencies in three Minnesota cities. In childhood, abuse, foster care, arrests, and prostitution were typical. Homelessness, rape, assault, racism, and pimping were common. The women's most prevalent physical symptoms included muscle pain, impaired memory or concentration, and headaches. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and dissociation were common, with more severe psychological symptoms associated with worse health. Most of the women wanted to leave prostitution and they most often identified counseling and peer support as necessary to accomplish this. Most saw colonization and prostitution of AI/AN women as connected. © Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

female Indians, North American Sex Work Humans Alaska Native Minnesota ethnology prostitution American Indian human trafficking human adult Alaska Natives
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84959571177&doi=10.5820%2faian.2301.2016.65&partnerID=40&md5=9183565bd9ec867063bbeb6acba963a2
DOI: 10.5820/aian.2301.2016.65
ISSN: 08935394
Cited by: 2
Original Language: English