The Experience of the Body Among Older Female Sex Workers

The experience of the body among female sex workers has been researched from various perspectives. However, studies examining body experiences of aging female sex workers are scarce. This knowledge gap reflects the overall paucity of research on this aging population, particularly the absence of their subjective accounts. Furthermore, there is a significant lack of research on the experiences of women in this profession who live in conservative cultures, such as the Arab culture. The aim of the current study was to address this gap by exploring how active and recently retired older female sex workers from an Arab community experienced their aging bodies, using a critical feminist gerontology perspective as a conceptual lens. An interpretive phenomenological analysis approach was used for in-depth analysis of interviews with 10 women. The participants' narratives revealed three themes: The body as the link preserving the sex work experience; Alienation and rejection of the body; and Gratitude toward the aging body. The findings suggest that the body serves as an arena where participants' identities are negotiated, along with societal attitudes toward aging and sex work. Understanding how older female sex workers experience and perceive their bodies may be helpful for creating context-sensitive interventions and policies that address the complex needs and vulnerabilities of this population.