Summary: | Introduction Studies aiming to understand the prevalence of suicidal behaviors in female prostitutes are scarce. Our investigation seeks to study the prevalence of suicidal behaviors and the risk factors associated and also the meanings attributed to suicidal behaviors by urban indoor and outdoor female prostitutes. Method To achieve aims, we gained access to the contexts of indoor and outdoor prostitution, to collect quantitative and qualitative data regarding suicidal behaviors. The research will take place in the three major cities of Portugal: Oporto, Coimbra and Lisbon. We will use, in the first phase of our study, the Social Support Questionnaire 6 (SSQ6), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ), and a semi-structured interview. This interview will address women's suicidal behavior history and experience in prostitution. Furthermore, we intend, in the second phase, to obtain qualitative data regarding the personal perceptions of women about their suicidal behaviors, by using an in depth interview with women that reported suicide attempts. Results We expect to obtain, a range of results that allow us to better understand the phenomenon of suicidal behaviors in female prostitutes, which may contribute to a discussion sustained in empirical about this topic.
|