Health care for sex professionals: the view of the nursing team of the family health strategy

Abstract

Prostitution is seen by the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE) as a job where sex is an article of merchandise, being carried out in exchange for money, without affective joining between those involved. The objective is to characterize the health care provided by the Nursing team of the Family Health Strategy to sex workers. This is a descriptive field research, with a qualitative approach, which followed the ethical precepts of Resolution 466/2012 of the CNS. Nurses and nursing technicians who work in the Family Health Strategy were surveyed. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and responses were analyzed in percentages and categories. Although prostitution is one of the oldest professions in the world, it is still frowned upon by society. It was noticed that nursing professionals have different barriers to add this population to health services, thus compromising the health care recommended by the principles and guidelines of the Unified Health System. It was observed that the health care offered by the nursing team it is permeated by difficulties of a social nature such as prejudice, and related to the professional's own training. It is worth mentioning that public policies need to be improved, as well as updating the work processes of the Family Health Strategy teams, in order to guarantee the right to health of this population. The need to expand the perception of the nursing team about this public was evidenced, mainly through the work process, in order to guarantee the integrality of care.