Community Guide: The Impact of Criminalisation on Sex Workers’ Vulnerability to HIV and Violence

Year
2017

This resource is a Community Guide to the Policy Brief on the Impact of Criminalisation on Sex Workers’ Vulnerability to HIV and Violence. This guide summarises how criminalisation increases sex workers’ vulnerability to violence and HIV, and makes a series of recommendations towards the full decriminalisation of sex work as an integral step to improving the lives of sex workers. The full Policy Brief is available here

Contents include:

  • Surveillance, Policing and a Culture of Impunity Increase Vulnerability to Violence
    • Criminalisation creates a culture of impunity
    • Law Enforcement as Perpetrators of Violence
    • Impact of Policing on Sex Workers’ Risk Analysis and Decision Making
    • ‘End Demand’ Policies Increase Vulnerability to Violence and HIV
  • The Impact of Surveillance and Policing on Vulnerability to HIV
  • Vulnerability During Arrest, Court-Involvement and Detention
    • Mandatory HIV and STI Testing
    • Impact of Detention on Sex Workers’ Health
    • Violence in Detention
  • Vulnerability After Criminal Justice System Involvement
  • Recommendations

You can download the 5 page guide above. This resource is available in English, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish.