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Kielhold K, Shannon K, Krüsi A, Valencia E, Pearson J, Goldenberg SM. Association between sex work occupational stigma and inconsistent condom use: findings from a community-based cohort of women sex workers in Vancouver, Canada (2014-2022). J Epidemiol Community Health 2024:jech-2024-221989. [PMID: 39179380 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2024-221989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women sex workers face substantial health inequities due to structural barriers including criminalisation and stigma. Stigma has been associated with HIV-related inequities among marginalised populations, however, we know less about the impacts of sex work-specific occupational stigma on HIV/sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk among women sex workers. Given these research gaps and the disproportionate burden of stigma faced by sex workers, we evaluated the association between sex work occupational stigma and recent inconsistent condom use with clients, over an 8-year period (2014-2022). METHODS Baseline and semiannual questionnaire data from a prospective, community-based cohort of sex workers in Vancouver, Canada from September 2014 to February 2022 were used. We employed complete-case bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis using generalised estimating equations to analyse the relationship between sex work occupational stigma and inconsistent condom use for vaginal/anal sex with clients in the past 6 months. RESULTS Among 574 participants, the cumulative prevalence of inconsistent condom use by clients and sex work occupational stigma in the last 6 months was 32.1% (n=184) and 59.9% (n=344), respectively, over the 8-year period. In adjusted multivariable analysis, exposure to sex work occupational stigma was associated with almost twofold increased odds of recent inconsistent condom use with clients (adjusted OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.23 to 3.03) over the 8-year period. CONCLUSION Multilevel interventions addressing the role of occupational stigma are needed for HIV and STI prevention efforts, including scale-up of sex worker-led/delivered sexual health services and structural changes to decriminalise and destigmatise sex work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirstin Kielhold
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Kate Shannon
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Division of Social Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Andrea Krüsi
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Division of Social Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Esteban Valencia
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Division of Social Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jennie Pearson
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Division of Social Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Shira M Goldenberg
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
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Frost E, Shannon K, Braschel M, Kestler M, Pearson J, Perry C, Goldenberg SM. Pandemic-related challenges accessing food and primary healthcare among sex workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: findings from a community-based cohort in Vancouver, Canada. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:1544. [PMID: 38849769 PMCID: PMC11162031 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18959-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic upended healthcare services and created economic vulnerability for many. Criminalization of sex work meant sex workers were largely ineligible for Canada's government-based financial pandemic relief, the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit. Sex workers' loss of income and inability to access financial support services during the pandemic resulted in many unable to pay rent or mortgage, and in need of assistance with basic needs items including food. Little is known about the unique experiences of sex workers who faced challenges in accessing food during the pandemic and its impact on healthcare access. Thus, we aimed to identify the association between pandemic-related challenges accessing food and primary healthcare among sex workers. METHODS Prospective data were drawn from a cohort of women sex workers in Vancouver, Canada (An Evaluation of Sex Workers' Health Access, AESHA; 2010-present). Data were collected via questionnaires administered bi-annually from October 2020-August 2021. We used univariate and multivariable logistic regression with generalized estimating equations to assess the association between pandemic-related challenges accessing food and challenges accessing primary healthcare over the study period. RESULTS Of 170 participants, 41% experienced pandemic-related challenges in accessing food and 26% reported challenges accessing healthcare. Median age was 45 years (IQR:36-53), 56% were of Indigenous ancestry, 86% experienced intimate partner violence in the last six months, and 62% reported non-injection substance use in the last six months. Experiencing pandemic-related challenges accessing food was positively associated with challenges accessing primary healthcare (Adjusted Odds Ratio: 1.99, 95% Confidence Interval: 1.02-3.88) after adjustment for confounders. CONCLUSIONS Findings provide insight about the potential role community-based healthcare delivery settings (e.g., community clinics) can play in ameliorating access to basic needs such as food among those who are highly marginalized. Future pandemic response efforts should also take the most marginalized populations' needs into consideration by establishing strategies to ensure continuity of essential services providing food and other basic needs. Lastly, policies are needed establishing basic income support and improve access to food resources for marginalized women in times of crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Frost
- Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health, San Diego State University and UC San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Kate Shannon
- Center for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, Canada
- Division of Social Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Melissa Braschel
- Center for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Mary Kestler
- Oak Tree Clinic, BC Women's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jennie Pearson
- Center for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Chelsey Perry
- Center for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Shira M Goldenberg
- Center for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, Canada.
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA.
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McAdam E, Hayashi K, Cui Z, Anderson H, Nelson S, Milloy MJ, DeBeck K. Receipt of COVID-19 emergency funds and engagement in sex work during COVID-19 among people who use drugs: evidence from Vancouver, Canada. Harm Reduct J 2024; 21:86. [PMID: 38678228 PMCID: PMC11055326 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-024-00997-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health orders disrupted income generation in numerous sectors and many governments provided emergency financial support. Access to government support and changes in engagement in sex work during the early period of the pandemic among people who use drugs (PWUD) are not well described. In the present study, we investigate the prevalence and correlates of engaging in sex work during the COVID-19 pandemic, among PWUD in Vancouver, Canada. METHODS Data derived from three harmonized cohorts of PWUD. Using multivariable logistic regression, we characterized factors associated with engaging in sex work in the last month between July 17 and November 30, 2020. Reports of changes in frequency of engagement in sex work since the pandemic were also collected. RESULTS Of the 864 individuals included in this analysis, 55 (6.4%) reported sex work engagement in the last month. Among these participants, 40.7% reported receiving COVID-19 income support in the past month vs. 52.7% of the rest of the sample, though receipt of income support in the past six months was similar between the two groups (72.2% vs. 75.7%, p = 0.624). In multivariable analysis, receipt of financial support in the last month was negatively associated with engagement in sex work in the last month (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.44 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.24-0.81]). Among 69 participants who responded to a question regarding changes in engagement in sex work, 38 (55.1%) reported a decrease, 11 (15.9%) reported an increase, 19 (27.5%) reported no change, and 1 (1.4%) reported cessation. CONCLUSIONS Findings document that engagement in sex work appears to have declined early in the pandemic. Participants who received income support in the past month were less likely to report recent engagement in sex work. Findings suggest that recent receipt of income support may have contributed to reductions in engagement in sex work. Additional investigation is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica McAdam
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Howe St, 400-1045, V6Z 2A9, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kanna Hayashi
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Howe St, 400-1045, V6Z 2A9, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, V5A 1S6, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Zishan Cui
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Howe St, 400-1045, V6Z 2A9, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 1081 Burrard Street, 608-, V6Z 1Y6, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Haleigh Anderson
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Howe St, 400-1045, V6Z 2A9, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Peer Research Associates, At-Risk Youth Study, 1265 Granville St, V6Z 1M5, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Scarlett Nelson
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Howe St, 400-1045, V6Z 2A9, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Peer Research Associates, At-Risk Youth Study, 1265 Granville St, V6Z 1M5, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - M-J Milloy
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Howe St, 400-1045, V6Z 2A9, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 1081 Burrard Street, 608-, V6Z 1Y6, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kora DeBeck
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Howe St, 400-1045, V6Z 2A9, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- School of Public Policy, Simon Fraser University, 515 West Hastings St, V6B 5K3, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- CIHR Applied Public Health Chair, Simon Fraser University, 515 West Hastings St, V6B 5K3, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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Squires K. Sex Workers in Canada Face Unequal Access to Healthcare: A Systems Thinking Approach. J Prim Care Community Health 2024; 15:21501319241233173. [PMID: 38504526 PMCID: PMC10953055 DOI: 10.1177/21501319241233173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Despite Canada's universal health system, sex workers across the country face an alarmingly high number of barriers when they seek to healthcare services. This has resulted in unmet healthcare needs and substantially poorer health outcomes than the general Canadian population. The objective of this study was to use a systems thinking approach to gain an in-depth understanding of the barriers sex workers face and how access could be improved. METHODS The analysis was conducted using a systems thinking methodology, which incorporates systems tools and inquiry processes. The methodology comprised 2 domains of inquiry: (1) Problem Landscape, (2) Solutions Landscape. Systems tools and methods, such as causal loop diagrams, iceberg diagram, and systems mapping, investigated the problem landscape for understanding the interconnected nature of the issue, alongside review of both published and gray literature. An environmental scan explored the current solutions landscape. These methods connected through systemic inquiry processes, including ongoing review and application of diverse perspectives, boundary judgments, interrelationships; enabled gaps and levers of change to be determined. RESULTS The main barriers sex workers face are stigma, criminalization, accessibility, and cost of healthcare. The stigma of sex work stems from otherization, paternalism, and moralistic, faith-based beliefs. The barriers unique to sex work are stigma and criminalization; both of which surface as avoidance, dislike, and/or fear of medical professionals. Five gaps each with a lever of change to improve access were identified: (1) Stigma - Collectivization and external collaboration, (2) Criminal status of sex work - Decriminalization, (3) Lack of adequate education - Improved healthcare professional training and anti-discriminatory health policies, (4) Lack of support - Increased community-based healthcare services, (5) Cost of healthcare - Universal coverage of "secondary" healthcare components. CONCLUSION Through reducing the stigma surrounding sex work, making changes that improve the healthcare services that sex workers receive, and collaboration between involved parties, sex workers can be prevented from falling through the cracks of the Canadian healthcare system; lessening the health inequities sex workers face and improving their health outcomes.
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Kachikis A, Schiff MA, Moore K, Chapple-McGruder T, Arluck J, Hitti J. Risk Factors Associated with Congenital Syphilis, Georgia, 2008-2015. Infect Dis Obstet Gynecol 2023; 2023:3958406. [PMID: 38026087 PMCID: PMC10651339 DOI: 10.1155/2023/3958406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Congenital syphilis (CS) is associated with significant perinatal morbidity and mortality. The study objectives were to compare risk factors among women with syphilis infection whose pregnancies did and did not result in CS cases and to evaluate other geographic and socioeconomic characteristics of county of residence as a measure of healthcare inequity. Methods This study linked maternal and congenital syphilis data from the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), 2008-2015. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) reporting guideline was followed. Demographic, behavioral, and case characteristics were compared among women with syphilis infection who did and did not have an infant with CS. Chi-square, Fisher's exact, and multivariate regression analyses were performed using STATA 14.2 (College Station, TX). Results Of 505 women with syphilis infection, 23% had an infant with CS, while 77% did not. After adjusting for race/ethnicity, factors associated with CS outcome were age greater than 35 years (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.88; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-14.89), hospital/emergency department diagnosis of syphilis (aOR 3.43; 95% CI 1.54-7.62), and high-risk behaviors such as exchanging sex for money or drugs (aOR 3.25; 95% CI 1.18-8.98). There were no associations between characteristics of county of residence and CS outcome. Conclusions This study highlights risk factors that may be associated with CS incidence and the adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with CS. Further work is needed to study improved data collection systems, contributing factors related to CS as well as prevention measures in the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisa Kachikis
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Melissa A. Schiff
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Preventive Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | | | | | - Jessica Arluck
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jane Hitti
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Perry C, Goldenberg S, Deering K, Patrick L, Braschel M, Shannon K, Bingham B. Structural racism and violence: Routine healthcare access in a cohort of marginalized Indigenous women and Two-Spirit Peoples during the COVID-19 Pandemic. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3450143. [PMID: 37961370 PMCID: PMC10635380 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3450143/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Objectives Historical and ongoing colonial violence, racism, discrimination, criminalization, and intergenerational trauma continues to impact the health of Indigenous women (cisgender and transgender) and Two-Spirit Peoples. Previous and ongoing work clearly articulate the deeply harmful roles of colonialism and racism in continuing to systemically exclude Indigenous Peoples from accessing equitable and culturally safe healthcare. While the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified structural inequities, little attention has been paid to how the pandemic impacts healthcare access for Indigenous women and Two-Spirit Peoples living in urban settings. The aim of this study was to evaluate factors associated with experiencing difficulty accessing routine healthcare in a cohort of marginalized urban Indigenous women and Two-Spirit Peoples on the ancestral, occupied territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations in what is now referred to as Metro Vancouver, Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Data were drawn from AMPLIFY, a study of Indigenous cis and trans women and Two-Spirit Peoples in Metro Vancouver. Analyses drew on baseline and semi-annual questionnaire data collected with sex workers and women living with HIV from October 2020-August 2021. We used bivariate and multivariable logistic regression with generalized estimating equations (GEE) to model correlates of experiencing difficulty accessing a family doctor, nurse, or clinic for routine healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic in the last 6-months. Results Amongst 142 marginalized Indigenous women and Two-Spirit Peoples (199 observations), 27.5% reported difficulty accessing routine healthcare. In multivariable GEE logistic regression, participants who had ever been pregnant (AOR:4.71, 95% CI:1.33-16.66) experienced negative changes in psychological and emotional well-being (AOR: 3.99, 95% CI: 1.33-11.98), lacked access to culturally safe health services (AOR:4.67, 95% CI:1.43-15.25), and had concerns regarding safety or violence in their community (AOR:2.72, 95% CI:1.06-6.94) had higher odds of experiencing recent difficulty accessing routine healthcare. Discussion Findings are in line with the BC Commissioned In Plain Sight report which recommends the need for accessible, culturally safe, anti-racist, and trauma-informed routine healthcare for marginalized Indigenous cisgender and transgender women and Two-Spirit Peoples during the current and future pandemics. More community-based research is needed to understand access needs for culturally safe routine healthcare amongst marginalized Indigenous cisgender and transgender women and Two-Spirit Peoples.
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Zhao Y, Shannon K, Buxton JA, Ti L, Genovy TA, Braschel M, Pick N, Kestler M, Deering K. Precarious Housing Associated with Unsuppressed Viral load, sub-optimal Access to HIV Treatment and Unmet Health care Needs, Among Women Living with HIV in Metro Vancouver, Canada. AIDS Behav 2023; 27:2271-2284. [PMID: 36729293 PMCID: PMC10564463 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-022-03957-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
We investigated associations between (1) housing status (four categories measuring housing stability) and outcomes along the HIV care continuum (not currently on antiretroviral therapy [ART]; sub-optimal ART adherence [< 95% in the last 3-4 weeks]; unsuppressed viral load [> 200 copies/ml], median CD4 < 200 in the last six months), and (2) housing status and unmet primary, dental and mental health care needs in the last six months among WLWH. Housing status was defined according to the Canadian Definition of Homelessness and had four categories: unsheltered (i.e., living in ≥ 1 unsheltered location [e.g., street, abandoned buildings]), unstable (i.e., living in ≥ 1 unstable location [e.g., shelter, couch surfing]), supportive housing (i.e., only living in supportive housing), and stable housing (i.e., only living in one's own housing; reference). At baseline, in the last six months, 47.3% of participants reported unstable housing, followed by 24.4% unsheltered housing, 16.4% stable housing, and 11.9% supportive housing. Overall, 19.1% of the full sample (N = 336, 2010-2019) reported not currently on ART; among participants on ART, 28.0% reported sub-optimal ART adherence. Overall, 32.1% had recent unsuppressed viral load. Among a subsample (n = 318, 2014-2019), 15.7% reported unmet primary care needs, 26.1% unmet dental care needs, and 16.4% unmet mental health care needs. In adjusted models, being unsheltered (vs. stable housing) was associated with not currently on ART, unsuppressed viral load, and unmet primary and dental care needs. Housing and health services need to be developed with and for WLWH to address structural inequities and fulfill basic rights to housing and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinong Zhao
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Kate Shannon
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jane A Buxton
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Lianping Ti
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Theresa Anne Genovy
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Melissa Braschel
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Neora Pick
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Oak Tree Clinic, BC Women's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Mary Kestler
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Oak Tree Clinic, BC Women's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Kathleen Deering
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
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Goldenberg SM, Pearson J, Moreheart S, Nazaroff H, Krüsi A, Braschel M, Bingham B, Shannon K. Prevalence and structural correlates of HIV and STI testing among a community-based cohort of women sex workers in Vancouver Canada. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0283729. [PMID: 36996154 PMCID: PMC10062647 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In light of the stark inequities in HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) experienced by women sex workers, empirical evidence is needed to inform accessible and sex worker-friendly models of voluntary, confidential and non-coercive HIV and STI testing. We evaluated the prevalence and structural correlates of HIV/STI testing in the last 6 months in a large, community-based cohort of women sex workers in Vancouver, Canada. METHODS Data were drawn from an open community-based open cohort of women sex workers (January 2010-August 2021) working across diverse street, indoor, and online environments in Vancouver, Canada. Using questionnaire data collected by experiential (sex workers) and community-based staff, we measured prevalence and used bivariate and multivariable logistic regression to model correlates of recent HIV/STI testing at enrollment. RESULTS Of 897 participants, 37.2% (n = 334) identified as Indigenous, 31.4% as Women of Color/Black (n = 282), and 31.3% (n = 281) as White. At enrollment, 45.5% (n = 408) reported HIV testing, 44.9% (n = 403) reported STI testing, 32.6% (n = 292) reported receiving both HIV and STI testing, and 57.9% (n = 519) had received an HIV and/or STI test in the last 6 months. In adjusted multivariable analysis, women accessing sex worker-led/specific services had higher odds of recent HIV/STI testing, (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 1.91, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.33-2.75), whereas Women of Color and Black women (AOR: 0.52, 95%CI: 0.28-0.98) faced significantly lower odds of recent HIV/STI testing. CONCLUSIONS Scaling-up community-based, sex worker-led and tailored services is recommended to enhance voluntary, confidential, and safe access to integrated HIV/STI testing, particularly for Women of Color and Black Women. Culturally safe, multilingual HIV/STI testing services and broader efforts to address systemic racism within and beyond the health system are needed to reduce inequities and promote safe engagement in services for racialized sex workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shira M. Goldenberg
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States of America
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Division of Social Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jennie Pearson
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Division of Social Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sarah Moreheart
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC Canada
| | - Hannah Nazaroff
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Andrea Krüsi
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Division of Social Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Melissa Braschel
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Brittany Bingham
- Division of Social Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Vancouver Coastal Health, Indigenous Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kate Shannon
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Division of Social Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Johnson L, Potter LC, Beeching H, Bradbury M, Matos B, Sumner G, Wills L, Worthing K, Aldridge RW, Feder G, Hayward AC, Pathak N, Platt L, Story A, Sultan B, Luchenski SA. Interventions to improve health and the determinants of health among sex workers in high-income countries: a systematic review. Lancet Public Health 2023; 8:e141-e154. [PMID: 36334613 PMCID: PMC10564624 DOI: 10.1016/s2468-2667(22)00252-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Many sex worker populations face high morbidity and mortality, but data are scarce on interventions to improve their health. We did a systematic review of health and social interventions to improve the health and wider determinants of health among adult sex workers in high-income countries. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EthOS, OpenGrey, and Social Care Online, as well as the Global Network of Sex Work Projects and the Sex Work Research Hub for studies published between Jan 1, 2005 and Dec 16, 2021 (PROSPERO CRD42019158674). Quantitative studies reporting disaggregated data for sex workers were included and no comparators were specified. We assessed rigour using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. We summarised studies using vote counting and a narrative synthesis. 20 studies were included. Most reported findings exclusively for female sex workers (n=17) and street-based sex workers (n=11). Intervention components were divided into education and empowerment (n=14), drug treatment (n=4), sexual and reproductive health care (n=7), other health care (n=5), and welfare (n=5). Interventions affected a range of mental health, physical health, and health behaviour outcomes. Multicomponent interventions and interventions that were focused on education and empowerment were of benefit. Interventions that used peer design and peer delivery were effective. An outreach or drop-in component might be beneficial in some contexts. Sex workers who were new to working in an area faced greater challenges accessing services. Data were scarce for male, transgender, and indoor-based sex workers. Co-designed and co-delivered interventions that are either multicomponent or focus on education and empowerment are likely to be effective. Policy makers and health-care providers should improve access to services for all genders of sex workers and those new to an area. Future research should develop interventions for a greater diversity of sex worker populations and for wider health and social needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Johnson
- Department of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK; Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Lucy C Potter
- Centre for Academic Primary Care, Department of Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Molly Bradbury
- Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Bella Matos
- Department of Psychology, The American University of Paris, Paris, France
| | - Grace Sumner
- Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lorna Wills
- Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Kitty Worthing
- Centre for Primary Care and Public Health, Queen Mary University, London, UK
| | - Robert W Aldridge
- Centre for Public Health Data Science, Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, UK
| | - Gene Feder
- Centre for Academic Primary Care, Department of Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Andrew C Hayward
- Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Neha Pathak
- Centre for Public Health Data Science, Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, UK; Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Lucy Platt
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Al Story
- Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK; Find & Treat, University College London Hospital, London, UK
| | - Binta Sultan
- Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK; Find & Treat, University College London Hospital, London, UK
| | - Serena A Luchenski
- Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK
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Pearson J, Machat S, McDermid J, Goldenberg SM, Krüsi A. An Evaluation of Indoor Sex Workers' Sexual Health Access in Metro Vancouver: Applying an Occupational Health & Safety Lens in the Context of Criminalization. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:1857. [PMID: 36767222 PMCID: PMC9914303 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20031857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The criminalization of sex work has been consistently shown to undermine workers' Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), including sexual health. Drawing on the 'Guide to OHS in the New Zealand Sex Industry' (the Guide), we assessed barriers to sexual health best practices among indoor sex workers in Metro Vancouver, Canada, in the context of ongoing criminalization. Part of a longstanding community-based study, this analysis drew on 47 qualitative interviews (2017-2018) with indoor sex workers and third parties. Participants' narratives were analyzed drawing on a social determinants of health framework and on the Guide with specific focus on sexual health. Our findings suggest that sex workers and third parties utilize many sexual health strategies, including use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and peer-driven sexual health education. However, participant narratives demonstrate how structural factors such as criminalization, immigration, and stigma limit the accessibility of additional OHS best practices outlined in the Guide and beyond, including access to non-stigmatizing sexual health assessments, and distribution of diverse PPE by third parties. Our current study supports the need for full decriminalization of sex work, including im/migrant sex work, to allow for the uptake of OHS guidelines that support the wellbeing and autonomy of all sex workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennie Pearson
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2K5, Canada
- Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Sylvia Machat
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2K5, Canada
| | - Jennifer McDermid
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2K5, Canada
- Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Shira M. Goldenberg
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2K5, Canada
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Andrea Krüsi
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2K5, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
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Moore BE, Govaerts L, Kapadia F. Maternal health and maternal health service utilization among female sex workers: A scoping review. WOMEN'S HEALTH (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2023; 19:17455057231206303. [PMID: 37899632 PMCID: PMC10617279 DOI: 10.1177/17455057231206303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND High proportions of female sex workers (FSWs) become pregnant and have children. Many FSWs are at increased risk of maternal health complications due to factors such as poverty, violence, and healthcare barriers. Despite this, FSWs' maternal health and use of maternal health services (MHS) receive limited attention. OBJECTIVES The objectives of this scoping review are to (1) synthesize existing data on FSWs' maternal health and MHS utilization and (2) assess the state of peer-reviewed literature on FSWs' maternal health in regard to methodological approaches and reported outcomes. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Included articles were peer-reviewed, published in English, and reported empirical data on FSWs for outcomes related to antenatal care, pregnancy, and labor complications, postnatal and delivery care, and/or barriers to MHS. SOURCES OF EVIDENCE Article searches were conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Global Health, Sociological Abstracts, Sociological Index, PsychInfo, and CINAHL. CHARTING METHODS Information extracted from eligible articles included publication year, study design, location, sample size, outcome measures, and findings. The "Three Delays" model was used to synthesize findings on barriers to MHS as relevant to phase I, II, or III delays. RESULTS Eighteen publications met the eligibility criteria. Studies were conducted in 11 countries and primarily reported quantitative data from cross-sectional surveys. The most frequently reported outcome was antenatal care utilization (n = 14), whereas few studies reported findings related to postnatal care and breastfeeding counseling (n = 2). Across publications, there was a substantial range in the proportion of FSWs who reported accessing different types of MHS. CONCLUSION Literature on FSWs' maternal health is limited and heterogenous. More research is needed that specifically focuses on measuring outcomes related to FSWs' maternal health and examines associated factors. Such work can inform future research directions and public health interventions for FSWs-a population of marginalized women whose maternal health has been overlooked in existing efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandi E Moore
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lauren Govaerts
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Farzana Kapadia
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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Santoyo-Sánchez G, Merino-Soto C, Flores-Hernández S, Pelcastre-Villafuerte BE, Reyes-Morales H. Content Validity of a Scale Designed to Measure the Access of Older Adults to Outpatient Health Services. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph191610102. [PMID: 36011737 PMCID: PMC9407808 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191610102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this work was to validate the content of a scale formulated in Spanish for older adults in Mexico, with the aim of comprehensively measuring the access of this population group to outpatient primary-care services. To this end, we carried out a methodological content-validity study in four stages: (1) construction of the scale; (2) evaluation of item legibility; (3) quantitative content evaluation by two groups of judges selected by convenience: participant-judges including older adults with adequate reading comprehension, surveyed in person (n = 23), and expert-judges comprised of researchers specialized in the fields of health services, psychometrics and aging, surveyed online (n = 7); and (4) collection of qualitative feedback from several of the participant-judges (older adults, n = 4). The content was validated both by sequentially examining the level of consensus in the responses of both groups of judges, using the Tastle and Wierman method, and by calculating Aiken's Validity Coefficient with a 90% confidence interval. The scale contained 65 items pertaining to 10 dimensions of two major constructs: accessibility (n = 39) and personal abilities (n = 26). Five items were eliminated in accordance with the minimum-consensus criterion (0.5). This is the first psychometric scale to be developed in Mexico with the view of integrating the characteristics of health-care services and the abilities of the older adults in a single questionnaire designed to measure the access of this population group to outpatient primary-care services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo Santoyo-Sánchez
- School of Public Health of Mexico, National Institute of Public Health, Avenida Universidad 655, Santa María Ahuacatitlán, Cuernavaca 62100, Morelos, Mexico
| | - César Merino-Soto
- Psychology Research Institute, San Martin de Porres University, Avenue Tomás Marsano 232, Lima 34, Peru
| | - Sergio Flores-Hernández
- Center for Evaluation and Surveys, National Institute of Public Health, Avenida Universidad 655, Santa María Ahuacatitlán, Cuernavaca 62100, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Blanca Estela Pelcastre-Villafuerte
- Center for Health Systems Research, National Institute of Public Health, Avenida Universidad 655, Santa María Ahuacatitlán, Cuernavaca 62100, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Hortensia Reyes-Morales
- Center for Health Systems Research, National Institute of Public Health, Avenida Universidad 655, Santa María Ahuacatitlán, Cuernavaca 62100, Morelos, Mexico
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +52-(777)-329-3028
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13
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Goldenberg SM, Perry C, Watt S, Bingham B, Braschel M, Shannon K. Violence, policing, and systemic racism as structural barriers to substance use treatment amongst women sex workers who use drugs: Findings of a community-based cohort in Vancouver, Canada (2010-2019). Drug Alcohol Depend 2022; 237:109506. [PMID: 35753282 PMCID: PMC9381028 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite a high prevalence of substance use among women sex workers (SWs), rigorous social epidemiologic data on substance use treatment experiences among SWs remains limited. Given these gaps and the disproportionate burden of criminalization borne by Indigenous SWs, we evaluated (1) structural correlates of unsuccessful attempts to access substance use treatment; and (2) the interaction between policing and Indigenous ancestry on unsuccessful attempts to access treatment among SWs who use drugs. METHODS Prospective data were from an open community-based cohort of women SWs (2010-2019) in Vancouver, Canada. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression with generalized estimating equations(GEE) assessed correlates of unsuccessful attempts to access treatment. A multivariable GEE confounder model examined the interaction between Indigenous ancestry and policing on unsuccessful attempts to access treatment. RESULTS Amongst 645 SWs who used drugs, 32.1 % reported unsuccessful attempts to access substance use treatment during the 9.5-year study. In multivariable GEE analysis, unsuccessful substance use treatment access was associated with identifying as a sexual/gender minority (AOR: 1.90, 95 %CI:1.37-2.63), opioid use (AOR: 1.43, 95 %CI: 1.07-1.91), and exposure to homelessness (AOR: 1.72; 95 %CI:1.33-2.21), police harassment (AOR: 1.48, 95 %CI:1.03-2.13), workplace violence (AOR: 1.80, 95 %CI: 1.31-2.49) and intimate partner violence (AOR: 2.11, 95 %CI:1.50-2.97). In interaction analysis, Indigenous SWs who experienced police harassment faced the highest odds of unsuccessful attempts to access substance use treatment (AOR: 2.59, 95 %CI:1.65-4.05). CONCLUSION Findings suggest a need to scale-up culturally-safe, trauma-informed addictions, gender-based violence, and sex worker services, alongside dismantling of systemic racism across and beyond health and addictions services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shira M. Goldenberg
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182-4162, USA,Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Chelsey Perry
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Sarah Watt
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Brittany Bingham
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada,Division of Social Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul’s Hospital, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Melissa Braschel
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Kate Shannon
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada,Division of Social Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul’s Hospital, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada
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14
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Round JM, Plitt SS, Eisenbeis L, Smyczek P, Gratrix J, Charlton C, Fathima S, O'Brien A. Examination of Care Milestones for Preventing Congenital Syphilis Transmission Among Syphilis-Infected Pregnant Women in Alberta, Canada: 2017-2019. Sex Transm Dis 2022; 49:477-483. [PMID: 35470347 DOI: 10.1097/olq.0000000000001640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An infectious syphilis outbreak in Alberta has resulted in increased congenital syphilis (CS) cases. To shed light on potential risk factors, we used administrative data sets to examine care milestones for the prevention of CS among pregnant women diagnosed with syphilis, as well as correlates of women giving birth to infants with CS. METHODS Provincial administrative databases were used to identify and describe pregnant women diagnosed with any stage of infectious or noninfectious syphilis who gave birth in Alberta between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2019. Data on prenatal care, syphilis screening, and syphilis medication dispensation were used to evaluate the care milestones. Clinical care and maternal demographics were assessed using logistic and linear regression analyses to determine correlates for missed care milestones or a newborn outcome of CS. RESULTS Of 182 syphilis-infected pregnant women, 63 (34.6%) delivered a newborn with CS. Overall, in the first trimester, 136 (75.1%) women had a health care visit, 72 (39.6%) had a prenatal care visit, 71 (39.0%) were screened for syphilis, and 44 (24.2%) were treated. Gestational time to treatment initiation (adjusted odds ratio, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.06) and older maternal age at diagnosis (adjusted odds ratio: 1.28, 95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.50) were independently associated with CS outcomes. No variables were found to be independently associated with a health care visit, prenatal screening, or initiation of treatment. CONCLUSIONS Although nearly two-thirds of CS cases were prevented, there remained missed opportunities in the prevention of CS. Early treatment, which relies on timely access to prenatal care and screening, was the most important for the prevention of CS.
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15
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Odhiambo AJ, Forman L, Nelson LE, O'Campo P, Grace D. Unmasking legislative constraints: An institutional ethnography of linkage and engagement in HIV healthcare for African, Caribbean, and Black people in Ontario, Canada. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 2:e0000714. [PMID: 36962554 PMCID: PMC10021522 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0000714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemic significantly impacts African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) immigrants in Canada. Health scholarship has revealed striking injustices within Canada's public healthcare system that restrict access to healthcare and violate the human rights of ACB immigrants living with HIV who are marginalized. We conducted an institutional ethnography to comprehensively understand how HIV healthcare in Ontario is organized and experienced by ACB immigrants, focusing on unjust and discriminatory legislative frameworks and institutional practices regulating access to publicly funded healthcare resources and services. We interviewed 20 ACB immigrants and 15 healthcare workers, including specialists, primary care providers, immigration physicians, and social workers. We found a disjuncture between the organization of HIV healthcare in Ontario and how ACB immigrants experienced access to care. We uncovered how immigration, public health and healthcare laws and related institutional practices intersect to produce structural violence which create barriers and missed opportunities to timely linkage and engagement in HIV healthcare. Black immigrants' accounts revealed that they underwent mandatory HIV under the Immigration Medical Examination policy (IME) without providing informed consent and receiving pre and post-test counselling. Furthermore, Black immigrants did not receive referrals and were not adequately linked to care following HIV diagnosis. Troubling encounters with immigration and public health state agents and healthcare legislative barriers including difficulty finding a physician, the 3-month waiting period under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), long wait times, lack of drug coverage, and stigma, discrimination, and anti-Black racism shaped and affected Black people's linkage and engagement in HIV care. We elucidate how the legislative and structural organization of healthcare regulated and constrained health service access for ACB immigrants living with HIV, including their ability to "achieve" HIV undetectability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apondi J Odhiambo
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lisa Forman
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - LaRon E Nelson
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Yale School of Nursing, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- St, Michael's Hospital, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Patricia O'Campo
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- St, Michael's Hospital, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Daniel Grace
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Kendrick C, MacEntee K, Flicker S. Exploring Audience Engagement and Critical Narrative Intervention With the Celling Sex Film. Health Promot Pract 2021; 22:33S-43S. [PMID: 34664517 PMCID: PMC8739580 DOI: 10.1177/15248399211040492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Young women who trade sex experience high rates of stigma that exacerbate existing health inequities. The products of participatory visual methodologies show promising potential for challenging stigma. In total, 15 young women who trade sex created individual brief videos to share their experiences. Following a participatory analysis, the videos were edited into one composite movie to highlight key messages. Eight facilitated screenings (cohosted by participant filmmakers and research team members) were organized with diverse community and health organizations. Audiences were led through a series of interactive writing, drawing, viewing, and discussion activities. Sessions were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and inductively analyzed to assess the impacts of the film on audiences. Audience reactions were categorized into four overarching themes to describe main impacts: consciousness raising, commitments to practice and organizational change, effectiveness of the approach, and limitations. Audience responses demonstrated that facilitated screenings can challenge harmful stereotypes and help viewers consider pathways to enact positive change in their personal and professional lives. However, changing deep-rooted patterns of stigma takes time, dedication, and accountability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katie MacEntee
- York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sarah Flicker
- York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Sarah Flicker, Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University, 109 HNES, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada;
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17
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Lavalley J, Collins AB, Mayer S, Gaudette L, Krüsi A, McNeil R, Boyd J. Negotiating sex work and client interactions in the context of a fentanyl-related overdose epidemic. CULTURE, HEALTH & SEXUALITY 2021; 23:1390-1405. [PMID: 32895026 PMCID: PMC8609966 DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2020.1785550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Despite awareness of the role of drug use in shaping sex worker/client interactions, these dynamics remain poorly understood in the context of illicit fentanyl-driven overdose epidemics. This study examined sex workers' experiences negotiating client interactions amidst a toxic drug supply in Vancouver, Canada. Findings draw from two ethnographic studies. The first, conducted between December 2016 and May 2017, examined the rapid implementation of several low-threshold supervised consumption sites. The second investigated experiences of women accessing a women-only site from May 2017 to June 2018. Data included 200 hours of fieldwork and in-depth semi-structured interviews with 34 street-based sex workers who use illicit drugs. Data were analysed thematically with attention to the risk environment. Participants described providing harm reduction services to clients as a means to reduce overdose-related risks, thus increasing sex workers' hidden labour. Participants, comments regarding criminalisation and stigma surrounding drug use and sex work indicated a reticence to report overdoses, thereby potentially increasing the risks of overdose-related harms, including death. There is an urgent need for sex worker-led overdose prevention strategies that prioritise health and safety of sex workers and their clients with specific attention to how the criminalisation of particular drugs, practices and people contributes to overdose-related risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Lavalley
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC,
Canada
- Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Program, University of
British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Alex B. Collins
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC,
Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University,
Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Samara Mayer
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC,
Canada
- Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Program, University of
British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Laurel Gaudette
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC,
Canada
| | - Andrea Krüsi
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia,
Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC,
Canada
| | - Ryan McNeil
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC,
Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia,
Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Program in Addiction Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New
Haven, CT, USA
- General Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New
Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jade Boyd
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC,
Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia,
Vancouver, BC, Canada
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18
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Lyons T, Krüsi A, Edgar E, Machat S, Kerr T, Shannon K. The Impacts of Intersecting Stigmas on Health and Housing Experiences of Queer Women Sex Workers in Vancouver, Canada. JOURNAL OF HOMOSEXUALITY 2021; 68:957-972. [PMID: 31774383 DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2019.1694337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to qualitatively explore how queer women sex workers' experiences of stigma impacted health and housing access in Vancouver, Canada. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 56 queer women sex workers in Vancouver, Canada between June 2012 and May 2013. Participants described sexual stigma in the form of discriminatory comments about their sexuality, and in the form of barriers to housing and complexities in maintaining their relationships in supported housing environments. Enacted stigma was also experienced, particularly drug use-related stigma, in healthcare settings. Consequently, some participants reported felt stigma in the form of hiding their sexuality and relationships to mitigate stigma and to gain access to services. Participants experienced a variety of stigma related to drug use, housing insecurity, and sexuality; thereby demonstrating the intersecting dimensions of stigma and structural oppressions in the lives of the queer women sex workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara Lyons
- Centre for Gender & Sexual Health Equity, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Criminology, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Andrea Krüsi
- Centre for Gender & Sexual Health Equity, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Sylvia Machat
- Centre for Gender & Sexual Health Equity, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Thomas Kerr
- Centre for Gender & Sexual Health Equity, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kate Shannon
- Centre for Gender & Sexual Health Equity, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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19
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Fleming T, Collins AB, Bardwell G, Fowler A, Boyd J, Milloy MJ, Small W, McNeil R. A qualitative investigation of HIV treatment dispensing models and impacts on adherence among people living with HIV who use drugs. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0246999. [PMID: 33635886 PMCID: PMC7909635 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) dispensing is strongly associated with treatment adherence. Among illicit drug-using populations, whom experience greater structural barriers to adherence, directly administered antiretroviral therapy (DAAT) is often regarded as a stronger predictor of optimal adherence over self-administered medications. In Vancouver, Canada, people living with HIV (PLHIV) who use drugs and live in low-income housing are a critical population for treatment support. This group is typically able to access two key DAAT models, daily delivery and daily pickup, in addition to ART self-administration. This ethno-epidemiological qualitative study explores how key dispensing models impact ART adherence among PLHIV who use drugs living in low-income housing, and how this is framed by structural vulnerability. Semi-structured interviews lasting 30-45 minutes were conducted between February and May 2018 with 31 PLHIV who use drugs recruited from an ongoing prospective cohort of PLHIV who use drugs. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using QSR International's NVivo 12 software. Interviews focused on housing, drug use, and HIV management. Models that constrained agency were found to have negative impacts on adherence and quality of life. Treatment interruptions were framed by structural vulnerabilities (e.g., housing vulnerability) that impacted ability to maintain adherence under certain dispensing models, and led participants to consider other models. Participants using DAAT models which accounted for their structural vulnerabilities (e.g., mobility issues, housing instability), credited these models for their treatment adherence, but also acknowledged factors that constrained agency, and the negative impacts this could have on both adherence, and quality of life. Being able to integrate ART into an established routine is key to supporting ART adherence. ART models that account for the structural vulnerability of PLHIV who use drugs and live in low-income housing are necessary and housing-based supports could be critical, but the impacts of such models on agency must be considered to ensure optimal adherence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Fleming
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Alexandra B. Collins
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Geoff Bardwell
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Al Fowler
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jade Boyd
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - M. J. Milloy
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Will Small
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Ryan McNeil
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Program in Addiction Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
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20
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A Biopsychosocial Approach to Analyzing Inpatient Falls. JOURNAL OF ACUTE CARE PHYSICAL THERAPY 2020. [DOI: 10.1097/jat.0000000000000134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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21
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Goldenberg S, Liyanage R, Braschel M, Shannon K. Structural barriers to condom access in a community-based cohort of sex workers in Vancouver, Canada: influence of policing, violence and end-demand criminalisation. BMJ SEXUAL & REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH 2020; 46:301-307. [PMID: 32184290 PMCID: PMC7850467 DOI: 10.1136/bmjsrh-2019-200408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Sex workers (SWs) face a disproportionate burden of HIV/sexually transmitted infections (STIs), violence and other human rights violations. While recent HIV prevention research has largely focused on the HIV cascade, condoms remain a cornerstone of HIV prevention, requiring further research attention. Given serious concerns regarding barriers to condom use, including policing, violence and 'end-demand' sex work criminalisation, we evaluated structural correlates of difficulty accessing condoms among SWs in Vancouver over an 8-year period. METHODS Baseline and prospective data were drawn from a community-based cohort of women SWs (2010-2018). SWs completed semi-annual questionnaires administered by a team that included lived experience (SWs). Multivariable logistic regression using generalised estimating equations (GEE) modelled correlates of difficulty accessing condoms over time. RESULTS Among 884 participants, 19.1% reported difficulty accessing condoms during the study. In multivariable GEE analysis, exposure to end-demand legislation was not associated with improved condom access; identifying as a sexual/gender minority (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.62, 95% CI 1.16 to 2.27), servicing outdoors (aOR 1.52, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.97), physical/sexual workplace violence (aOR 1.98, 95% CI 1.44 to 2.72), community violence (aOR 1.79, 95% CI 1.27 to 2.52) and police harassment (aOR 1.66, 95% CI 1.24 to 2.24) were associated with enhanced difficulty accessing condoms. CONCLUSIONS One-fifth of SWs faced challenges accessing condoms, suggesting the need to scale-up SW-tailored HIV/STI prevention. Despite the purported goal of 'protecting communities', end-demand criminalisation did not mitigate barriers to condom access, while sexual/gender minorities and those facing workplace violence, harassment or those who worked outdoors experienced poorest condom accessibility. Decriminalisation of sex work is needed to support SWs' labour rights, including access to HIV/STI prevention supplies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shira Goldenberg
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ruchi Liyanage
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Melissa Braschel
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kate Shannon
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Blumenkrans E, Socías ME, Richardson L, Kerr T, Shoveller J, Montaner J, Milloy MJ. Longitudinal Factors Associated with Used Syringe Lending Among HIV-Positive Antiretroviral Therapy-Naïve People Who Inject Drugs in a Canadian Setting. AIDS Behav 2020; 24:2163-2168. [PMID: 32026249 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-020-02781-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Sharing used syringes is an important route of HIV transmission, however, factors shaping used syringe-lending among antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve HIV-positive people who inject drugs (PWID) are not well-characterized. Multivariable logistic regression analyses using generalized estimating equations (GEE) were employed to investigate correlates of used syringe lending among ART-naïve PWID. Data was drawn from ACCESS, a prospective community-recruited cohort of HIV-positive illicit drug users in Vancouver, Canada, from 1996 to 2015. The analysis included 482 ART-naïve PWID, of which 116 (24.1%) reported ≥ 1 periods of used syringe lending. In longitudinal analyses, incarceration (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 2.18, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.48-3.20), daily cocaine injection (AOR= 1.97, 95% CI 1.33-2.90), and sex work (AOR = 1.61, 95% CI 1.02-2.55) during the 180-day observation period were positively associated with used syringe lending, while having a high school diploma (AOR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.43-0.93) and holding formal employment (AOR = 0.20, 95% CI 0.05-0.82) were negatively associated. We found a high prevalence of used syringe lending among ART-naïve HIV-positive PWID, particularly among those recently incarcerated, involved in sex work or who injected cocaine frequently. Conversely, markers of higher socio-economic status were negatively associated with used syringe lending. These findings highlight the critical need for policies and interventions to decrease socio-economic marginalization and criminalization among PWID living with HIV alongside the scale up of access to harm reduction services.
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Busza J, Chiyaka T, Musemburi S, Fearon E, Davey C, Chabata S, Mushati P, Dirawo J, Napierala S, Phillips AN, Cowan FM, Hargreaves JR. Enhancing national prevention and treatment services for sex workers in Zimbabwe: a process evaluation of the SAPPH-IRe trial. Health Policy Plan 2020; 34:337-345. [PMID: 31157368 DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czz037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeted HIV interventions for female sex workers (FSW) combine biomedical technologies, behavioural change and community mobilization with the aim of empowering FSW and improving prevention and treatment. Understanding how to deliver combined interventions most effectively in sub-Saharan Africa is critical to the HIV response. The Sisters' Antiretroviral Programme for Prevention of HIV: an Integrated Response (SAPPH-Ire) randomized controlled trial in Zimbabwe tested an intervention to improve FSW engagement with HIV services. After 2 years, results of the trial showed no significant difference between study arms in proportion of FSW with HIV viral load ≥1000 copies/ml as steep declines occurred in both. We present the results of a process evaluation aiming to track the intervention's implementation, assess its feasibility and accessibility, and situate trial results within the national HIV policy context. We conducted a mixed methods study using data from routine programme statistics, qualitative interviews with participants and respondent driven surveys. The intervention proved feasible to deliver and was acceptable to FSW and providers. Intervention clinics saw more new FSW (4082 vs 2754), performed over twice as many HIV tests (2606 vs 1151) and nearly double the number of women were diagnosed with HIV (1042 vs 546). Community mobilization meetings in intervention sites also attracted higher numbers. We identified some gaps in programme fidelity: offering pre-exposure prophylaxis took time to engage FSW, viral load monitoring was not performed, and ratio of peer educators to FSW was lower than intended. During the trial, reaching FSW with HIV testing and treatment became a national priority, leading to increasing attendance at both intervention and control clinics. Throughout Zimbabwe, antiretroviral therapy coverage improved and HIV-stigma declined. Zimbabwe's changing HIV policy context appeared to contribute to positive improvements across the HIV care continuum for all FSW over the course of the trial. More intense community-based interventions for FSW may be needed to make further gains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Busza
- Centre for Evaluation, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, UK
| | - Tarisai Chiyaka
- Centre for Sexual Health and HIV AIDS Research (CeSHHAR) Zimbabwe, 9 Monmouth Road, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Sithembile Musemburi
- Centre for Sexual Health and HIV AIDS Research (CeSHHAR) Zimbabwe, 9 Monmouth Road, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Elizabeth Fearon
- Centre for Evaluation, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, UK
| | - Calum Davey
- Centre for Evaluation, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, UK
| | - Sungai Chabata
- Centre for Sexual Health and HIV AIDS Research (CeSHHAR) Zimbabwe, 9 Monmouth Road, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Phillis Mushati
- Centre for Sexual Health and HIV AIDS Research (CeSHHAR) Zimbabwe, 9 Monmouth Road, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Jeffrey Dirawo
- Centre for Sexual Health and HIV AIDS Research (CeSHHAR) Zimbabwe, 9 Monmouth Road, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Sue Napierala
- RTI International, 351 California Street, Suite 500, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Andrew N Phillips
- Institute for Global Health, UCL, Royal Free Hospital, Rowland Hill Street, London, UK and
| | - Frances M Cowan
- Centre for Sexual Health and HIV AIDS Research (CeSHHAR) Zimbabwe, 9 Monmouth Road, Harare, Zimbabwe.,Department of International Public Health, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Pl, Liverpool, UK
| | - James R Hargreaves
- Centre for Evaluation, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, UK
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24
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Harms of Workplace Inspections for Im/Migrant Sex Workers in In-Call Establishments: Enhanced Barriers to Health Access in a Canadian Setting. J Immigr Minor Health 2020; 21:1290-1299. [PMID: 30652237 DOI: 10.1007/s10903-019-00859-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Given shifting sex work criminalization and enforcement in Canada, this study examined worrying about workplace inspections by authorities amongst indoor sex workers in Vancouver (2014-2017). Data were drawn from a community-based prospective cohort of sex workers (AESHA). Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression were used to investigate factors associated with worry about inspections. 23.9% of participants experienced workplace inspections; 51.6% worried about inspections. In multivariable analyses, worrying about inspections was associated with recent im/migration [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 3.13; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.77-5.53], police harassment (AOR 3.49; 95% CI 1.92-6.34), and workplace violence (AOR 1.66, 95% CI 1.09-2.51). In a multivariable confounder model, worry was independently associated with barriers to health access (AOR 1.45, 95% CI 1.06-1.98). Im/migrant indoor workers are disproportionately impacted by concerns about workplace inspections, which was independently linked to enhanced barriers to health access. Current criminalization measures may exacerbate health inequities among im/migrant sex workers.
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Boyd J, Lavalley J, Czechaczek S, Mayer S, Kerr T, Maher L, McNeil R. "Bed Bugs and Beyond": An ethnographic analysis of North America's first women-only supervised drug consumption site. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2020; 78:102733. [PMID: 32247720 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attention to how women are differentially impacted within harm reduction environments is salient amidst North America's overdose crisis. Harm reduction interventions are typically 'gender-neutral', thus failing to address the systemic and everyday racialized and gendered discrimination, stigma, and violence extending into service settings and limiting some women's access. Such dynamics highlight the significance of North America's first low-threshold supervised consumption site exclusively for women (transgender and non-binary inclusive), SisterSpace, in Vancouver, Canada. This study explores women's lived experiences of this unique harm reduction intervention. METHODS Ethnographic research was conducted from May 2017 to June 2018 to explore women's experiences with SisterSpace in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, an epicenter of Canada's overdose crisis. Data include more than 100 hours of ethnographic fieldwork, including unstructured conversations with structurally vulnerable women who use illegal drugs, and in-depth interviews with 45 women recruited from this site. Data were analyzed in NVivo by drawing on deductive and inductive approaches. FINDINGS The setting (non-institutional), operational policies (no men; inclusive), and environment (diversity of structurally vulnerable women who use illegal drugs), constituted a space affording participants a temporary reprieve from some forms of stigma and discrimination, gendered and social violence and drug-related harms, including overdose. SisterSpace fostered a sense of safety and subjective autonomy (though structurally constrained) among those often defined as 'deviant' and 'victims', enabling knowledge-sharing of experiences through a gendered lens. CONCLUSION SisterSpace demonstrates the value and effectiveness of initiatives that engage with socio-structural factors beyond the often narrow focus of overdose prevention and that account for the complex social relations that constitute such initiatives. In the context of structural inequities, criminalization, and an overdose crisis, SisterSpace represents an innovative approach to harm reduction that accounts for situations of gender inequality not being met by mixed-gender services, with relevance to other settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jade Boyd
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, St. Paul's Hospital, 400 - 1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada.
| | - Jennifer Lavalley
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, St. Paul's Hospital, 400 - 1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada
| | - Sandra Czechaczek
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, St. Paul's Hospital, 400 - 1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada
| | - Samara Mayer
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, St. Paul's Hospital, 400 - 1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada
| | - Thomas Kerr
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, St. Paul's Hospital, 400 - 1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Lisa Maher
- Kirby Institute for Infection and Immunity, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia and Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria, 3004, Australia
| | - Ryan McNeil
- Program in Addiction Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, 367 Cedar Street New Haven CT 06510, USA; General Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, 367 Cedar Street New Haven CT 06510, USA
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26
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Goldenberg S, Watt S, Braschel M, Hayashi K, Moreheart S, Shannon K. Police-related barriers to harm reduction linked to non-fatal overdose amongst sex workers who use drugs: Results of a community-based cohort in Metro Vancouver, Canada. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2019; 76:102618. [PMID: 31838244 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.102618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND High rates of overdose and overdose-related mortality in North America represent a pressing health and social concern. Women sex workers face severe health and social inequities, which have been linked to structural factors including negative police interactions; however, little is known regarding the burden of overdose or how policing impacts overdose risk amongst sex workers who use drugs. Given this, we aimed to explore the independent effects of experiencing police-related barriers to harm reduction on non-fatal overdose amongst women sex workers who use drugs in Metro Vancouver, Canada over a 7.5-year period. METHODS Data were drawn from An Evaluation of Sex Workers Health Access (AESHA), a community-based open prospective cohort of women sex workers in Metro Vancouver, from 2010 to 2017. Using multivariate logistic regression with generalized estimating equations (GEE), we used a confounder modeling approach to identify the independent effect of experiencing police-related barriers to harm reduction strategies on non-fatal overdose amongst sex workers using drugs within the last six months at each study visit. RESULTS Amongst 624 participants, 7.7% overdosed within the last six months at baseline and 27.6% overdosed during the study period, contributing 287 non-fatal overdose events over the 7.5-year period. 68.6% reported police-related barriers to harm reduction strategies during the study. In a multivariate confounder model, exposure to police-related barriers to harm reduction strategies [AOR: 2.15, CI: 1.60-2.90] was independently associated with higher odds of non-fatal overdose after adjustment for key confounders. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that in the context of the current overdose crisis, adversarial policing practices may undermine access to lifesaving overdose prevention services and exacerbate overdose risks for marginalized women. Findings underscore the urgent need to scale-up access and remove barriers to progressive harm reduction strategies for women sex workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shira Goldenberg
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada; Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
| | - Sarah Watt
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada; Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Melissa Braschel
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Kanna Hayashi
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada; BC Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada
| | - Sarah Moreheart
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Kate Shannon
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada; School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 5804 Fairview Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada
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27
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Ranjan A, Shannon K, Chettiar J, Braschel M, Ti L, Goldenberg S. Barriers and facilitators to hepatitis B vaccination among sex workers in Vancouver, Canada: Implications for integrated HIV, STI, and viral hepatitis services. Int J Infect Dis 2019; 87:170-176. [PMID: 31404673 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2019.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Sex workers (SWs) face an increased burden of sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections, yet little is known regarding hepatitis B virus (HBV) prevention and care. This study was performed to characterize cross-sectional and prospective correlates of HBV vaccination among SWs in Vancouver. METHODS Questionnaire data were drawn from a community-based cohort of SWs (2010-2017). Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine correlates of lifetime self-reported HBV vaccination. Multivariable generalized estimating equation (GEE) regression was used to assess correlates of recent vaccination. RESULTS Among 855 participants, 68.3% reported lifetime HBV vaccination. Multivariable logistic regression showed that im/migrants (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.50, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.32-0.78) had lower odds of vaccination and that those using injection drugs (AOR 1.88, 95% CI 1.27- 2.78) and those who had undergone HIV testing (AOR 1.94, 95% CI 1.14-3.29) had higher odds of vaccination. In the multivariable GEE analysis, HIV seropositivity (AOR 1.93, 95% CI 1.26-2.97) and recent STI testing (AOR 2.95, 95% CI 1.99-4.39) correlated with recent HBV vaccination. CONCLUSIONS Im/migrant SWs from HBV-endemic settings appear to face gaps in HBV prevention. Evidence-based interventions addressing gaps in voluntary HBV prevention and care are needed, including community-based and culturally safe services. Injection drug use and HIV testing were linked to enhanced vaccination, suggesting that harm reduction and HIV programmes may facilitate linkage to HBV prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuisa Ranjan
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity (CGSHE), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Kate Shannon
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity (CGSHE), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jill Chettiar
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity (CGSHE), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Melissa Braschel
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity (CGSHE), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lianping Ti
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; British Columbia Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Shira Goldenberg
- Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity (CGSHE), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada; Division of Global Public Health, University of California, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Prieto JB, Ávila VS, Folch C, Montoliu A, Casabona J. Linked factors to access to sexual health checkups of female sex workers in the metropolitan region of Chile. Int J Public Health 2018; 64:355-363. [PMID: 30483851 DOI: 10.1007/s00038-018-1175-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Revised: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To describe and compare the profile of female sex workers (FSWs) that access or do not access sexual health checkups (SHC). The research question was what are the factors linked to access to SHC for FSWs in the metropolitan region (RM) of Chile? METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in the RM with FSWs over the age of 18. A sample of 370 FSWs was selected by using the time-location sampling method in closed venues and at street-level locations. A survey was applied, validated, and included clinical-epidemiological, behavioral and socio-demographic variables. RESULTS 38.6% (n = 140) of FSWs that answered the question never used SHC and 37.6% (n = 84) received checkups in a specialized health center for FSWs. FSWs with no SHC were younger, prone to have more group sex, preferably with occasional or no stable partner, and did not know where to get an HIV test. CONCLUSIONS FSWs have had uncertain access to sexual health controls. FSWs with no SHC and young FSWs presented higher-risk behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julieta Belmar Prieto
- Epidemiology Program, School of Public Health, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Doctoral Program in Methodology of Biomedical Research and Public Health, Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Preventive Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Valeria Stuardo Ávila
- Epidemiology Program, School of Public Health, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Cinta Folch
- Center for Epidemiological Studies on STIs and AIDS of Catalonia, Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Barcelona, Spain.,Cyber of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alexandra Montoliu
- Center for Epidemiological Studies on STIs and AIDS of Catalonia, Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Casabona
- Center for Epidemiological Studies on STIs and AIDS of Catalonia, Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Barcelona, Spain.,Cyber of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
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Flath NL, Brantley MR, Davis WW, Lim S, Sherman SG. Patterns of primary healthcare use among female exotic dancers in Baltimore, Maryland. Women Health 2018; 59:334-346. [PMID: 30040602 DOI: 10.1080/03630242.2018.1452833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Female exotic dancers (FEDs) are often exposed to violence-, sex- and drug-related occupational harms and are precluded from employer-based health insurance. We examined access to primary health-care resources, correlates of use, and service needs among a sample of new FEDs (N = 117) working in 22 exotic dance clubs (EDCs) in Baltimore, MD. Self-administered surveys were completed between May and October 2014. Health care measures were aggregated and described, and correlates of use were evaluated using Fisher Exact and Poisson regression with robust variance, adjusting for race/ethnicity. The majority of dancers reported having health insurance (80%), a primary care provider (PCP) (68%), and having visited a PCP (74%). Among dancers with insurance, all were covered by Medicaid. Multivariable regression models demonstrated that having a regular PCP was associated with recent PCP use (adjusted prevalence ratio 1.5; 95% confidence interval: 1.1, 2.1). Despite a high level of health-care coverage and recent visits to PCP, dancers frequently sought services at the emergency department and reported needs for medical care, including mental health support services and drug treatment. Findings highlight that basic access to primary health care is available and used but may not be fully meeting dancers' complex needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie L Flath
- a Department of Health, Behavior and Society , Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , Baltimore, Maryland , USA
| | - Meredith Reilly Brantley
- a Department of Health, Behavior and Society , Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , Baltimore, Maryland , USA
| | - Wendy W Davis
- b Department of Epidemiology , Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , Baltimore , Maryland , USA
| | - Sahnah Lim
- c Population, Family, & Reproductive Health , Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , Baltimore , Maryland , USA
| | - Susan G Sherman
- a Department of Health, Behavior and Society , Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , Baltimore, Maryland , USA
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Olding M, Enns B, Panagiotoglou D, Shoveller J, Harrigan PR, Barrios R, Kerr T, Montaner JSG, Nosyk B. A historical review of HIV prevention and care initiatives in British Columbia, Canada: 1996-2015. J Int AIDS Soc 2017; 20:21941. [PMID: 28953322 PMCID: PMC5640311 DOI: 10.7448/ias.20.1.21941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION British Columbia has made significant progress in the treatment and prevention of HIV since 1996, when Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) became available. However, we currently lack a historical summary of HIV prevention and care interventions implemented in the province since the introduction of HAART and how they have shaped the HIV epidemic. Guided by a socio-ecological framework, we present a historical review of biomedical and health services, community and structural interventions implemented in British Columbia from 1996-2015 to prevent HIV transmission or otherwise enhance the cascade of HIV care. METHODS We constructed a historical timeline of HIV interventions implemented in BC between 1996 and 2015 by reviewing publicly available reports, guidelines and other documents from provincial health agencies, community organizations and AIDS service organizations, and by conducting searches of peer-reviewed literature through PubMed and Ovid MEDLINE. We collected further programmatic information by administering a data collection form to representatives from BC's regional health authorities and an umbrella agency representing 45 AIDS Service organizations. Using linked population-level health administrative data, we identified key phases of the HIV epidemic in British Columbia, as characterized by distinct changes in HIV incidence, HAART uptake and the provincial HIV response. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION In total, we identified 175 HIV prevention and care interventions implemented in BC from 1996 to 2015. We identify and describe four phases in BC's response to HIV/AIDS: the early HAART phase (1996-1999); the harm reduction and health service scale-up phase (2000-2005); the early Treatment as Prevention phase (2006-2009); and the STOP HIV/AIDS phase (2010-present). In doing so, we provide an overview of British Columbia's universal and centralized HIV treatment system and detail the role of community-based and provincial stakeholders in advancing innovative prevention and harm reduction approaches, as well as "seek, test, treat and retain" strategies. CONCLUSIONS The review provides valuable insight into British Columbia's HIV response, highlights emerging priorities, and may inform future efforts to evaluate the causal impact of interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Olding
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Ben Enns
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Jean Shoveller
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - P Richard Harrigan
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Division of AIDS, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Rolando Barrios
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Division of AIDS, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Thomas Kerr
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Division of AIDS, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Julio S. G. Montaner
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Division of AIDS, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Bohdan Nosyk
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
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Sou J, Goldenberg SM, Duff P, Nguyen P, Shoveller J, Shannon K. Recent im/migration to Canada linked to unmet health needs among sex workers in Vancouver, Canada: Findings of a longitudinal study. Health Care Women Int 2017; 38:492-506. [PMID: 28300492 DOI: 10.1080/07399332.2017.1296842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Despite universal health care in Canada, sex workers (SWs) and im/migrants experience suboptimal health care access. In this analysis, we examined the correlates of unmet health needs among SWs in Metro Vancouver over time. Data from a longitudinal cohort of women SWs (An Evaluation of Sex Workers Health Access [AESHA]) were used. Of 742 SWs, 25.5% reported unmet health needs at least once over the 4-year study period. In multivariable logistic regression using generalized estimating equations, recent im/migration had the strongest impact on unmet health needs; long-term im/migration, policing, and trauma were also important determinants. Legal and social supports to promote im/migrant SWs' access to health care are recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Sou
- a Gender and Sexual Health Initiative, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital , Vancouver, British Columbia , Canada.,b School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia , Canada
| | - Shira M Goldenberg
- a Gender and Sexual Health Initiative, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital , Vancouver, British Columbia , Canada.,c Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University , Burnaby, British Columbia , Canada
| | - Putu Duff
- a Gender and Sexual Health Initiative, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital , Vancouver, British Columbia , Canada.,d Department of Medicine , University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital , Vancouver, British Columbia , Canada
| | - Paul Nguyen
- a Gender and Sexual Health Initiative, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital , Vancouver, British Columbia , Canada
| | - Jean Shoveller
- b School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia , Canada
| | - Kate Shannon
- a Gender and Sexual Health Initiative, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital , Vancouver, British Columbia , Canada.,b School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia , Canada.,d Department of Medicine , University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital , Vancouver, British Columbia , Canada
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Barreto D, Shannon K, Taylor C, Dobrer S, Jean JS, Goldenberg SM, Duff P, Deering KN. Food Insecurity Increases HIV Risk Among Young Sex Workers in Metro Vancouver, Canada. AIDS Behav 2017; 21:734-744. [PMID: 27752869 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-016-1558-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
This research aimed to determine the effect of food insecurity on sexual HIV risk with clients among youth sex workers (YSWs) <30 years in Metro Vancouver, Canada. Data were drawn from a prospective community cohort of sex workers (2010-2013). We examined the independent relationship between YSWs' food insecurity and being pressured into sex without a condom by clients ("client condom refusal"). Of 220 YSWs, 34.5 % (n = 76) reported client condom refusal over the 3.5-year study period and 76.4 % (n = 168) reported any food insecurity. Adjusting for other HIV risk pathways, food insecurity retained an independent effect on client condom refusal (AOR 2.08, 95 % CI 1.23-3.51), suggesting that food insecurity is significantly associated with HIV risk among YSWs. This study indicates a critical relationship between food insecurity and HIV risk, and demonstrates YSWs' particular vulnerability. Public policies for food assistance as a harm reduction measure may be key to addressing this disparity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniella Barreto
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608 - 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
- YouthCO HIV & Hep C Society, 205-568 Seymour St, Vancouver, V6B 3J5, Canada
| | - Kate Shannon
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608 - 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, 10th Floor, Vancouver, V5Z 1M9, Canada
| | - Chrissy Taylor
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608 - 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Sabina Dobrer
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608 - 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Jessica St Jean
- YouthCO HIV & Hep C Society, 205-568 Seymour St, Vancouver, V6B 3J5, Canada
| | - Shira M Goldenberg
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608 - 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Blusson Hall, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Putu Duff
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608 - 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, 10th Floor, Vancouver, V5Z 1M9, Canada
| | - Kathleen N Deering
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608 - 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, V6Z 1Y6, Canada.
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, 10th Floor, Vancouver, V5Z 1M9, Canada.
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Goldenberg SM, Deering K, Amram O, Guillemi S, Nguyen P, Montaner J, Shannon K. Community mapping of sex work criminalization and violence: impacts on HIV treatment interruptions among marginalized women living with HIV in Vancouver, Canada. Int J STD AIDS 2017; 28:1001-1009. [PMID: 28056726 DOI: 10.1177/0956462416685683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Despite the high HIV burden faced by sex workers, data on access and retention in antiretroviral therapy (ART) are limited. Using an innovative spatial epidemiological approach, we explored how the social geography of sex work criminalization and violence impacts HIV treatment interruptions among sex workers living with HIV in Vancouver over a 3.5-year period. Drawing upon data from a community-based cohort (AESHA, 2010-2013) and linked external administrative data on ART dispensation, GIS mapping and multivariable logistic regression with generalized estimating equations to prospectively examine the effects of spatial criminalization and violence near women's places of residence on 2-day ART interruptions. Analyses were restricted to 66 ART-exposed women who contributed 208 observations and 83 ART interruption events. In adjusted multivariable models, heightened density of displacement due to policing independently correlated with HIV treatment interruptions (AOR: 1.02, 95%CI: 1.00-1.04); density of legal restrictions (AOR: 1.30, 95%CI: 0.97-1.76) and a combined measure of criminalization/violence (AOR: 1.00, 95%CI: 1.00-1.01) were marginally correlated. The social geography of sex work criminalization may undermine access to essential medicines, including HIV treatment. Interventions to promote 'enabling environments' (e.g. peer-led models, safer living/working spaces) should be explored, alongside policy reforms to ensure uninterrupted treatment access.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shira M Goldenberg
- 1 Gender and Sexual Health Initiative, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, Canada.,2 Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Kathleen Deering
- 1 Gender and Sexual Health Initiative, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Ofer Amram
- 3 Department of Geography, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Silvia Guillemi
- 3 Department of Geography, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada.,4 British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Paul Nguyen
- 1 Gender and Sexual Health Initiative, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Julio Montaner
- 3 Department of Geography, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada.,5 Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Kate Shannon
- 1 Gender and Sexual Health Initiative, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, Canada.,5 Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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