Adolescent and young adult sex workers more likely to experience muscle dysmorphia, find study

Utilizing information from over 900 members in a big, various, and nationwide pattern of Canadian adolescents and younger adults from the Canadian Examine of Adolescent Well being Behaviors, a brand new examine published within the journal Sexual Well being has discovered important associations between intercourse work and muscle dysmorphia.

Intercourse work, in its numerous types, is extremely stigmatized in Canadian society, and intercourse employees are sometimes victims of dangerous stereotypes. It’s estimated that roughly 4% of Canadian adolescents have interaction in promoting intercourse, and analysis has proven that these concerned in sex work are extra in danger to expertise substance use issues, poor psychological well being, and bodily damage. Nevertheless, no identified analysis has beforehand centered on the affiliation between intercourse work and muscle dysmorphia.

“The affiliation between intercourse work involvement and muscle dysmorphia signs is probably going advanced and defined by a number of mechanisms,” says lead creator Kyle T. Ganson, Ph.D., MSW, assistant professor on the College of Toronto’s Issue-Inwentash College of Social Work. “For instance, engagement within the pursuit of muscularity through compulsive train could also be a coping mechanism to handle the psychological distress and stigma associated to intercourse work.”

The authors additionally speculate that people concerned in intercourse work could pursue a extra muscular, lean, and powerful physique to stick to socially fascinating and engaging physique beliefs.

The authors conclude that, whereas these findings detailing the connection between lifetime intercourse work involvement and signs of muscle dysmorphia are novel, additional analysis is required particularly regarding the evolving nature of intercourse work using digital and on-line venues.

“These findings prolong prior analysis that has described poor psychological well being, despair, anxiousness, and post-traumatic stress disorder amongst people concerned in intercourse work,” says Ganson. “Medical and group well being professionals ought to be alerted to those findings and think about screening for each intercourse work and muscle dysmorphia symptomatology amongst younger folks.”