nine countries—Canada, Colombia, Germany, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, the United States, and Zambia—found that 95% of prostitutes had been physically assaulted, and 75% had been raped. 89% of the women interviewed stated that they wanted to leave prostitution. However, the methodology and neutrality of Farley's studies has been criticised by other academics such as Ronald Weitzer. Weitzer has also said that Farley's findings are heavily influenced by radical feminist ideology. In a 2008 study of Chicago, USA street prostitutes, economists Steven D. Levitt and Sudhir Alladi Venkatesh found that women working without pimps work for an average hourly rate of about $25, and those working with pimps make 50% more. This is roughly four times the wage of other jobs available to them. Prostitutes are arrested once for every 450 encounters and every 10th arrest results in jail time. In 2004, a study in the UK showed that up to 95% of women in street prostitution were problematic drug users, including around 78% heroin users and rising numbers of crack cocaine addicts. Impact of COVID-19 During the COVID-19 pandemic, contact professions (which includes prostitution, amongst others) had been banned (temporarily) in some countries. This has resulted in a local reduction of prostitution. See also Solicitation References External links Street prostitution by Michael S. Scott, US DOJ Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Series, No. 2 (PDF file) Prostitution Prostitution