[Commercial sex engagement: medical and social aspects]

Commercial sex engagement represents a common phenomenon that has not been studied as of yet. Relatively few surveys have been published worldwide. The image of the woman that takes part in commercial sex, as shown by these surveys, is similar to a female victim who was sexually abused during her childhood and who was exposed to maltreatment. It is also shown that these women frequently suffer from violence and that a high percentage of these females can be diagnosed as post-traumatics. In the literature, there is mention of their involvement in the spreading of veneral diseases. The state of affairs in Israel can be seen in the Parliamentary Investigation Committee for the Trading of Women and also in the article by BenZion et al. published in this issue of Harefuah. This paper shows the preliminary results of a study conducted among 55 women who are engaged in organized prostitution and reside illegally in Israel. Our editorial attempts to analyze the issue of commercial sex and the results of this research, and stresses certain important social and medical aspects of this subject.