Improving the health of sex workers in NSW: maintaining success

Abstract

NSW has a diverse sex industry that is limited in its size by modest demand. There is no evidence that decriminalisation in 1995 increased the frequency of commercial sex in NSW. Though the largest sector, female brothels, is now mainly staffed by Asian women, condom use for vaginal and anal sex exceeds 99% and sexually transmissible infection rates are at historic lows. These gains are attributable to the long-term support of the NSW Department of Health in collaboration with the community-based Sex Workers Outreach Project and sexual health services, facilitated by the removal of criminal sanctions without the expense and access barriers of licensing systems.Just a generation ago sex work in New South Wales (NSW) had been criminalised for many years, linking the sex industry to criminal subcultures and fuelling corrupt behaviour.

Strategies and Challenges in Preventing Violence Against Canadian Indoor Sex Workers

“…Independent business models were mostly Internet-based through the use of online classified advertisements and personal Web sites, a situation similar to indoor marketplaces in many industrialized nations. 19,20,25,26 Although all participants worked as independents, we noted variations in financial security, degree of autonomy in setting conditions on services provided, fees charged, and condom use. These variations affected people's experiences of violence and their prevention strategies.…”

“…3,4,13,14 However, it is estimated that 80% of sex workers work in indoor settings, [15][16][17] with many working independently via the Internet. [18][19][20] Emerging research estimates that the prevalence of violence among indoor workers is between 25% and 66%. 1,12,21 Robbery, nonpayment, physical and sexual assault, deceptive condom removal, and exploitation by landlords and police are among the most common forms of violence in indoor settings.…”

Unprotected fellatio between female sex workers and their clients in Sydney, Australia

“…Female sex workers (FSW) in Sydney, Australia, have responded to occupational risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) by implementing almost universal condom use for vaginal sex with clients, resulting in rates of bacterial STI comparable to the general population 1. As a consequence, the incidence of genital gonorrhoea in FSW in Sydney has dramatically reduced from 440 cases per 100 women-years in 1980–1981 to 0.24 per 100 women-years in 2004–2006 2.…”

Barriers to Legal and Human Rights in Australia in the Era of HIV Treatment as Prevention

“…5 Decriminalization facilitates health promotion (Harcourt et al, 2010) and has been shown to improve occupational health and safety conditions (Pinwill, 1999), eradicate police corruption (Donovan, Harcourt, Egger & Fairley, 2001) and increase opportunities for workers to choose between types of employment, moderating the power of operators and allowing workers to organize in their own right (Sullivan, 2010). Decriminalization also increases the likelihood of sex workers reporting incidents of violence to police (New Zealand Government, 2008).…”