Why and According to What Consultation Profiles Do Female Sex Workers Consult Health Care Professionals? A Study Conducted in Laval, Québec

Nguyen, Minh-Nguyet; Venne, Thérèse; Rodrigues, Isabel; Jacques, Julien

doi:10.1080/07399330701738226

Cited by 12 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…by the German STD society), screening for asymptomatic bacterial STIs, including pharyngeal and rectal swabs for Gonococci, or nucleic acid testing of urine or rectal swabs for Chlamydia, is thus rarely offered. It has been described repeatedly that GPs or infectious disease specialists tend to neglect sexual health care needs of at-risk patients or sexual minorities [6,21], beyond financial aspects. The discrepancy between over-testing HIV-positive gay men - even if presently at low risk for STIs - and not offering syphilis serology to MSM with many sexual partners is striking.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-reported history of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and STI-related utilization of the German health care system by men who have sex with men: data from a large convenience sample

Schmidt

Marcus

2011

BMC Infect Dis

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BackgroundIn Germany, testing and treatment of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) services are not provided by one medical discipline, but rather dispersed among many different providers. Common STIs like gonorrhoea or Chlamydia infection are not routinely reported. Although men who have sex with men (MSM) are particularly vulnerable to STIs, respective health care utilization among MSM is largely unknown.MethodsA sexual behaviour survey among MSM was conducted in 2006. Questions on self-reported sexual behaviour, STI-related health care consultation and barriers to access, coverage of vaccination against hepatitis, screening for asymptomatic STIs, self-reported history of STIs, and partner notification were analysed. Analysis was stratified by HIV-serostatus (3,511 HIV-negative/unknown versus 874 positive).ResultsGeneral Practitioners, particularly gay doctors, were preferred for STI-related health care. Low threshold testing in sex-associated venues was acceptable for most respondents. Shame and fear of homophobic reactions were the main barriers for STI-testing. More than half of the respondents reported vaccination against hepatitis A/B. HIV-positive MSM reported screening offers for STIs three to seven times more often than HIV-negative or untested MSM. Unlike testing for syphilis or hepatitis C, screening for asymptomatic pharyngeal and rectal infections was rarely offered. STIs in the previous twelve months were reported by 7.1% of HIV-negative/untested, and 34.7% of HIV-positive respondents.ConclusionsSelf-reported histories of STIs in MSM convenience samples differ significantly by HIV-serostatus. Higher rates of STIs among HIV-positive MSM may partly be explained by more testing. Communication between health care providers and their clients about sexuality, sexual practices, and sexual risks should be improved. A comprehensive STI screening policy for MSM is needed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-reported history of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and STI-related utilization of the German health care system by men who have sex with men: data from a large convenience sample

Schmidt

Marcus

2011

BMC Infect Dis

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“…Formal acceptance of sex work as a legitimate business activity might make it easier for sex workers to disclose their work to healthcare providers, and receive non-judgmental health services (Abel et al 2010;Nguyen et al 2008). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Well, It Should Be Changed for One, Because It’s Our Bodies”: Sex Workers’ Views on Canada’s Punitive Approach towards Sex Work

et al. 2017

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Abstract:Background: The regulation of sex work is contentious in all countries, including for governments, the public, and sex workers themselves. Research shows sex workers' perspectives are ignored during policy formation in most cases. This is despite the fact they have unique insider knowledge and are directly affected by the policies that are enacted. Methods: We analyzed the accounts of a heterogeneous sample of adult sex workers (N = 218) residing in different urban cities in Canada to find out their views on current laws and their recommendations for reform. The interviews were conducted in 2012-2013 prior to the implementation of the 2014 Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act. The paper thus provides an opportunity to compare the changes desired by Canadian sex workers with changes put into law by the Act. Results: Although the interview questions did not directly ask about the current legal system, 121 expressed an opinion. Three main themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: (1) the challenges that criminalization posed to sex workers; (2) the workers' suggestions for legal reform; and (3) potential issues with legal reform. Conclusions: We discuss the contributions our qualitative findings make to the scholarship on sex work regulation and call for further research that includes sex workers' voices in decision-making regarding changes to policies affecting their lives.

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“…Yet, there is a scarcity of research relating any benefits from “coming out” in health care settings for individuals engaged in sex work, such as those noted above for other discreditable groups (Corrigan et al, 2012; Fisher & Akman, 2002). Only two studies could be found linking benefits to post-disclosure of work status: Nguyen, Venne, Rodrigues, and Jacques (2008) found that study participants reported more comprehensive and continuous care from providers who portrayed a nonjudgmental attitude when their sex work was revealed, and Abel (2014) uncovered that disclosure to regular doctors led to more comprehensive check-ups for some study participants. There is thus a need for deeper understanding of the costs but also the benefits of disclosure and how sex workers, as agentic health care seekers, navigate divulging a potentially stigmatizing status in their specific socio-legal context.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Canadian Sex Workers Weigh the Costs and Benefits of Disclosing Their Occupational Status to Health Providers

et al. 2018

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Prostitution stigma has been shown to negatively affect the work, personal lives, and health of sex workers. Research also shows that sex workers have much higher unmet health care needs than the general population. Less is known about how stigma obstructs their health-seeking behaviors. For our thematic analysis, we explored Canadian sex workers' accounts (N = 218) of accessing health care services for work-related health concerns. Results show that participants had mixed feelings about revealing their work status in health care encounters. Those who decided not to disclose were fearful of negative treatment or expressed confidentiality concerns or lack of relevancy. Those who divulged their occupational status to a health provider mainly described benefits, including nonjudgment, relationship building, and comprehensive care, while a minority experienced costs that included judgment, stigma, and inappropriate health care. Overall, health professionals in Canada appear to be doing a good job relating to sex workers who come forward for care. There is still a need for some providers to learn how to better converse with, diagnose, and care for people in sex work jobs that take into account the heavy costs associated with prostitution stigma.

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Why and According to What Consultation Profiles Do Female Sex Workers Consult Health Care Professionals? A Study Conducted in Laval, Québec

Cited by 12 publications

References 18 publications

Self-reported history of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and STI-related utilization of the German health care system by men who have sex with men: data from a large convenience sample

Self-reported history of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and STI-related utilization of the German health care system by men who have sex with men: data from a large convenience sample

“Well, It Should Be Changed for One, Because It’s Our Bodies”: Sex Workers’ Views on Canada’s Punitive Approach towards Sex Work

Canadian Sex Workers Weigh the Costs and Benefits of Disclosing Their Occupational Status to Health Providers

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