Why we are needed

One25 is the only organisation in Bristol specifically supporting street sex-working women. These women are amongst our city’s poorest and most vulnerable individuals. Each year we help around 230 women, about 150 of whom are street sex-working.

Most of the women we see on the streets are homeless, acutely malnourished and addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, because of this their safety and health is neglected. We see women who are deeply traumatised – from childhood abuse and the violence of life on the streets. Each year our beneficiaries report many violent attacks against them. Yet these courageous women show tremendous skills and potential: in their supportive peer relationships, their creativity and humour and their survival.

Of the 150 women sex-working on the streets:

• 99% are addicted to one or more Class A drugs and/or alcohol: average age of first use was 13 years old**
• All suffer from chronic ill health and half suffer from acute ill health (requiring immediate medical attention)**
• 80% experience homelessness within any given year***
• 92% suffer from malnutrition***
• Women in street prostitution are 12 times more likely to be murdered than the normal rate for all women in the same age group in the UK****

Of all the women we support:

• 100% have reported childhood abuse or neglect***
• 38% have been through fostering or children’s homes*
• 32% left school at 14 or younger and only 41% have any qualifications**
• Their age range is 18-55***

*Jeal, N and Salisbury, C (2004) ‘Self reported experiences of health services among street based prostitutes’ British Medical Journal, 65 p123 [Based on One25’s service users]

** Jeal, N and Salisbury, C (2007) ‘Health needs of parlour based prostitutes compared with street based prostitutes: a cross sectional survey’ International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 114 pp875-881 [Based on One25’s service users]

*** One25’s own stats

****Salfati, C. G. (2009) ‘Prostitute Homicide: An Overview of the Literature and Comparison to Sexual and Non-Sexual Female Victim Homicide’, Safer Sex in the City: The Experience and Management of Street Prostitution, pp. 51-68. (ed. D. Canter, M. Ioannou, D. Youngs)