'We end up like broken jigsaw puzzles': Chilling reality of sex work revealed in study

Report author Ruth Breslin said the women sampled in the report were often very young, undocumented and vulnerable and were driven into prostitution by poverty, coercion or a combination of both. File picture: PA

The chilling reality of the health, psychological and emotional problems suffered by many women trapped in Ireland’s sex trade have been revealed in a new study.

Confronting the Harm documents the experiences and impacts on the health and wellbeing of women in prostitution. The research was carried out by UCD’s Sexual Exploitation Research Programme (SERP) and the HSE's Women’s Health Service (WHS).