Perceived Hazards and Psychoactive Substance use among Sex Workers in Uyo, Nigeria

This article reports a qualitative interview study on perception of hazards as an explanation for psychoactive substance use among sex workers in Uyo, Nigeria. A purposive sampling method was used to recruit fifty-four (n = 54) commercial sex workers (aged 19-38) as participants for the study. The data was collected through in-depth individual interviews. Inductive and thematic analyses were undertaken on the interview transcripts. Participants reported frequent use of alcohol and other psychoactive substances such as cannabis and heroine, as these substances provided the mental state necessary for the demands and hazards of the business. Besides alcohol, cannabis was the second most widely used substance, consumed at least once daily as it combined important attributes, which include availability, effectiveness, and relative affordability for a “safe high†among the participants. They attributed any physical or psychological impairment observed in any cannabis user as a spiritual attack, as they indicate that cannabis consumed in “moderation†is harmless. Perceived hazards that necessitate being high include being able to defend against bullying coworkers who are out to prey on the weak; being mentally alert to flee law enforcement arrest; escaping suspected ritual-killer clients; and confronting physically violent clients, particularly those who are unwilling to pay for service. Increased frequency in the use of cannabis was shown to be closely related to the nature and severity of perceived threats. The use of psychoactive drugs as a coping strategy among sex workers has become a lived-in experience. Interventionist efforts should therefore be geared towards reducing real and perceived threats in an effort to decrease the use of psychoactive drugs among sex workers.