Prostitution: Factors of entry, exit and interventions

This article examines the entry and exit factors of prostitution, as well as interventions aimed at supporting women who want to leave the prostitution world. Despite the diversity of trajectories leading to the sex industry, prostitution is strongly linked to psychological, family, social and/or economic problems. These factors keep women in prostitution and complicate the exit process. In this sense, it is imperative to establish an understanding that will allow us to grasp the mechanisms of entry and exit from prostitution in order to better target prevention interventions and better support women wishing to leave prostitution. A search, from several databases, made it possible to select 21 studies relating to the mechanisms of entry, exit and interventions. The stages of the literature review process are inspired by the process of the Center for Reviews and Dissemination at York University (2008). The results show that entering prostitution is the result of multiple factors and exiting requires a complex process that requires several attempts. Some intervention programs do not meet the specific needs of prostituted women. Crown Copyright (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.