Improving the health of sex workers in NSW: maintaining success.
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.
National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, The University of New South Wales. bdonovan@nchecr.unsw.edu.au
Basil
B
Donovan
Christine
C
Harcourt
Sandra
S
Egger
Christopher K
CK
Fairley
D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D033161:Government Regulation; D006291:Health Policy; D006293:Health Promotion; D006304:Health Status; D020010:Heterosexuality; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D007267:Injections / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D011314:Preventive Health Services; D011477:Sex Work / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D040241:Social Marketing; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D013287:Illicit Drugs