Sex som självskadebeteende i form av prostitution hos unga kvinnor i Sverige - En kvalitativ innehållsanalys utifrån fyra biografier om hur sex som självskadebeteende bättre kan förebyggas av professionella

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study was to get a better understanding of sex as self-injury in the form of prostitution among young women. With a better understanding of this subject, hopefully, signs pointing at sex as self-injury can be identified earlier, which could lead to increased identification of women who live with these behaviors. Thus more preventive work can take place where professionals can capture the targeted group and offer them help. This study was based on a qualitative content analysis including four biographies and five different stories. These stories were told by young women who between the ages of 12-19 self-injured sex in the form of prostitution. The analysis has led to the conclusion that women tend to keep their self-injuring behavior a secret. They put up a facade to prevent others from discovering their self-injuring behavior. This behavior, according to our study, can be based on shame and also as a consequence of the normalization process. Some women in the study tend to feel less unworthy and have reduced anxiety while selling sex but afterward the unwanted feelings return. To temporarily keep reducing their anxiety, they continue with their behavior. Furthermore, a common indication has been shown among young women, with active self-injuring behavior, that they want help but do not know how to ask for it. The few times they actually did seek help, they got no response because the receiver did not know how to manage this information. This study has shown that there is a need to inform young women, professionals, and adults about sex as self-injury to help the targeted group to seek the help they need. To do this, professionals should spread knowledge about the subject to more adults and adolescents. With a greater spread about the subject, it can get more normalized and thus make it easier for women with these behaviors to seek help.