[Characterization of physical violence experienced by prostitutes living inside the state of Piauí].

This is a descriptive exploratory study with a quantitative approach, which aimed to characterize the physical violence suffered by prostitutes of Piauí and identify the prevalence of this disease. The study included 76 prostitutes registered in the Association of Sex Professionals of Picos, county of the state of Piauí, Brazil. The data collection was conducted in the areas of prostitution and in the association, from September to October 2010. The results showed that most prostitutes were young, with low income, low education, had more than two years in prostitution (50%), being mainly affected by psychological violence (60.5%) followed by physical (30.2%). The aggressors were known to the victims and women hardly made the complaint. The results were enlightening and led to affirm that it is common the occurrence of violence in women prostitutes, because they work in places determinants of violent acts.