As a Dr. in Sociology from the University of Cambridge, I have been studying and researching the sociological dimensions of health for almost a decade. In simpler terms, this means I study how society is related to health. In academia, my expertise is referred to as social medicine or the social determinants of health. In my own words, I like to address my expertise and interest as exploring how the societal mechanisms of power imbalance contribute to health inequality.

The societal mechanisms of power imbalance are not difficult for general readers to understand. This means our system of society allows some people to enjoy a disproportionate amount of power and privileges, while others face disadvantages, poverty, and/or discrimination. For example, racial, gender, socioeconomic, and health inequalities are forms of power imbalance in our society.

In my recent work, I examine how people living in poverty or constantly facing financial stress, such as single mothers, are at higher risk of entering the sex industry. I also explore why disadvantaged females who are subject to lower education levels, for example, are less likely to follow safe sex protocols (such as using condoms) when having sexual transactions with their clients. These circumstances result in females facing sexual and reproductive health risks, such as contracting sexually transmissible diseases or facing unintended pregnancy.

In history and society, existing scholarship highlights that local communities and media often distinguish between “good” and “bad” women and/or girls. Good women and/or girls are those who follow social norms and moral standards, such as not engaging in sexual misconduct like premarital sex and extramarital sex. On the flip side, local communities and media stigmatise women and/or girls who engage in sexual misconduct or especially enter the sex industry.

In sociology, we study how the societal mechanism of power imbalance is unfair to those of disadvantage, such as women and/or girls in certain circumstances. While societies and media like to label sex workers as immoral and “dirty”, sociologists find that sex workers would not enter the sex industry if they were not continually victimised by the unfair, imbalanced power relations in societies.

• If impoverished girls had better educational opportunities, they would one day go to university and work as professionals.

• If single mothers had financially supportive partners or family members, they would not work as freelance sex workers.

• If racially marginalised females had a fair share of social resources like their privileged female counterparts, they would not provide paid sex services just to satisfy subsistence needs, and, therefore, they would not be exposed to sexual and reproductive health risks.

All these discussions are part of the investigation of social medicine or the social determinants of health by sociologists. We analyse how an unfair societal system with misallocation of resources leads to discrimination against the underprivileged. We then study how these underprivileged cohorts lack life chances and social and financial opportunities. Next, we justify how their social and financial difficulties propel them to enter the sex industry. Furthermore, we find that they are vulnerable to experiencing health risks and disadvantages. We also assess how societies and media blame and stigmatise these vulnerable cohorts with health risks, which in turn compounds the unfairness of the societal system.

A vicious cycle of social and health inequalities is, hence, structured.

Laypersons may think those suffering from health problems and risks are due to their poor choices of behaviours and/or lifestyles. The harsh truth is: sociologists believe the unfair, imbalanced power structure of our societies plays a significant role in influencing disadvantaged people to make poor choices of behaviours and/or lifestyles.

And this is part of health inequalities.