Sexual health principles and the procurement of sexual services: evidence of the interface between sexual health and criminal justice
| Date | 13 May 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JFP-02-2019-0006 |
| Published date | 13 May 2019 |
| Pages | 145-157 |
| Author | Philip Birch,Doug Braun-Harvey |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology,Forensic practice,Sociology,Sociology of crime & law,Public policy & environmental management,Policing,Criminal justice |
Sexual health principles and the
procurement of sexual services:
evidence of the interface between
sexual health and criminal justice
Philip Birch and Doug Braun-Harvey
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between sexual health principles and the
procurement of sexual services. Most that has been written about sex work has been done so from the
perspective of deviancy; in contrast, recent work examining the practice of sex work has explored and
evidenced how emotional and intimacy needs are met through procurement. Recognising the conventional
aspects of procuring sexual services, this paper seeks to examine and understand this social practice
through applying Braun-Harvey and Vigorito’s (2015) six principles of sexual health.
Design/methodology/approach –Based on a mixed method approach, this paper presents findings
from a survey consisting of a sample of 309 men who procure sexual services and 20 interviews from a
sub-sample of the men who were surveyed and female sex workers who provide such services.
Findings –The findings illustrate the reasons for men’s procurement of sexual services, which corroborate
with the accounts of women who sell the services and reflect how the procurement of sexual services align
with principles of sexual health, which, in turn, challenge the stigma of buying sex.
Practical implications –The practical implications of this study are: provision of examining and
understanding sex work through the principles of sexual health; provision of a framework to examine
and understand sex work in a less stigmatising way; support for the growth of sexual health and
criminal justice research; and provision of a platform for further research examining sexual health, sex work
and decriminalisation.
Originality/value –This study is unique as it brings together principles of sexual health as a tool for
examining the procurement of sexual services, a practice that is demonised in many parts of the globe.
A consequence of this study is its presentation of a novel understanding for the social practice of
procurement that aides in both challenging the stigmatisation and criminalisation of sex work.
Keywords Procurement, Sexual health, Criminal justice
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The sex work industry and those involved in this social practice have received mixed attention
over time due to the social, moral and political effects on society (Birch, 2015; Jeffreys, 1997;
Mathews, 2008; Sanders, 2008a). In most part, sex work has received negative attention, in
which providers and purchasers have been classified as deviant. Dating back to scholars such as
Lombroso (2007) in the nineteenth century, where women who offered sexual services were
considered to suffer from biological deficiencies, sex work and those involved in this social
practice have been constructed as different to other people in mainstream society. The work of
Lombroso was extended by Winick (1962) and Stroller (1975), respectively, who applied such
theorising to men who procure sexual services. The conclusions drawn from this work has
promoted the position that those who procure sexual services are inherently different to the rest
Received 25 February 2019
Revised 8 April 2019
Accepted 9 April 2019
Philip Birch is based at Centre
for Law and Justice,
Charles Sturt University,
Port Macquarie, Australia.
Doug Braun-Harvey is based at
The Harvey Institute,
San Diego, California, USA.
DOI 10.1108/JFP-02-2019-0006 VOL. 21 NO. 2 2019, pp. 145-157, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2050-8794
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JOURNAL OF FORENSIC PRACTICE
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