Shining a RhED light: the 2011 Health and Sex Work Research Symposium
The Inner South Community Health Service inaugural research symposium
Sex work has been described as the world’s oldest profession. It’s also one of the most maligned and misunderstood. The legal, health and social inequities experienced by this population are manifold. Increased focus on health and equity for sex workers seeks to redress this imbalance and work towards a world which views sex worker rights as human rights.
Inner South Community Health Service – provider of the ‘Resourcing Health and Education’ program for people working in the legal and illegal sex industries in Victoria – held an inaugural research symposium for members of the research, public health, and sex working communities on May 25th 2011. Presentations spaned several disciplines – including social research, health promotion and epidemiology – and addressed a range of issues concerning the health and wellbeing of sex workers.
Keynote speakers included Dr James Rowe, Centre for Applied Social Research, RMIT University, who launched the findings of SHANTUSI – a ground-breaking study into HIV prevalence and risk amongst three different groups of sex workers (street sex workers, online sex workers and migrant sex workers in the unregulated industry), and Ms Cheryl Overs, Senior Research Fellow, Michael Kirby Centre for Public Health and Human Rights, Monash University, who presented on issues related to the health and human rights of sex workers on the global stage.
A selection of symposium presentations can be viewed below.
Global Health and Human Rights of Sex Workers
Cheryl Overs, Senior Research Fellow, Michael Kirby Centre for Public Health and Human Rights, Monash University
Working with culturally and linguistically diverse sex workers
Sex worker research with Thai, Chinese and Korean speaking background sex workers in Australia: best practice methodology, reliable outcomes
Jules Kim, Migration Project Manager, Scarlet Alliance, Australian Sex Workers Association
Elena Jeffreys, President, Scarlet Alliance, Australian Sex Workers Association
Establishing language-specific sexual health screening clinics for CALD sex workers
Aileen McConnell, Sexual Health Nurse, Melbourne Sexual Health Centre
Panel discussion: Engaging with culturally and linguistically diverse sex workers
Jules Kim (Scarlet Alliance), Elena Jeffreys (Scarlet Alliance), Aileen McConnell (MSHC), Dr Naomi Ngo (Manager, Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health)
Sex work and the law
Sex work and law enforcement: Collaborations that work and why
Brigitte Tenni et al, Nossal Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne
The Ugly Mug Program – A collaborative approach to reduce violence against sex workers
Laura Hickey, Health Education and Support Worker, ISCHS, RhED
Sergeant Kate Sommers, Sex Work Liaison Officer, Victoria Police
Panel discussion: Sex work and the law
Brigitte Tenni (Nossal), Sergeant Kate Sommers (Victoria Police), Laura Hickey (ISCHS, RhED), Jelena Popovic (Deputy Chief Magistrate)
Call to action
Sue White, General Manager, Complex Care and Oral Health, Inner South Community Health Service