Perception of Risk in the Context of sex Work among Venezuelan Immigrant Women and Men in Colombia

The objective was to analyze the perception of risk among cisgender and transgender Venezuelan immigrant men and women who offer sexual services in Colombia, with the purpose of identifying the factors that intervene in the ability to detect, identify and react to a situation of potential harm in the context of transactional sex. Qualitative research was developed with an interpretative hermeneutic approach and semi-structured interviews were used as a research technique. A total of 55 sex workers were interviewed in Bogotá D.C., the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley and the Colombian coffee-growing region, 69% of whom were male at birth and 31% were female. Regarding gender identity, 60% self-identified as cisgender men, 31% as cisgender women, and the remaining 9% as transgender women. The average age of the participants was 27 years old. Regarding immigration status, 69% of the sex workers interviewed were in the country illegally. Three types of risk were identified, namely biological, psychological and social, which are related to each other, generating situations of vulnerability in sex workers. In addition, the need for an analysis with an intersectional approach that takes into account the factors that increase the vulnerability of sex workers to HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STI), violence and gender-based violence, such as sexual orientation, gender identity, age, migratory status, among others, became evident.