title: [Sex workers: limited access to healthcare].
abstract: Sex workers constitute a heterogeneous group possessing a combination of vulnerability factors such as geographical instability, forced migration, substance addiction and lack of legal residence permit. Access to healthcare for sex workers depends on the laws governing the sex market and on migration policies in force in the host country. In this article, we review different European health strategies established for sex workers, and present preliminary results of a pilot study conducted among 50 sex workers working on the streets in Lausanne. The results are worrying: 56% have no health insurance, 96% are migrants and 66% hold no legal residence permit. These data should motivate public health departments towards improving access to healthcare for this vulnerable population.
authors.affiliation: Etudiante en Médecine, Université de Lausanne. elodie.gloor@unil.ch
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gloor
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Meystre-Agustoni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ansermet-Pagot
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vaucher
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Durieux-Paillard
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bodenmann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cavassini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011477:Sex Work / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data