Beyond Decriminalization: Sex-work, Human Rights and a New ...

BEYOND DECRIMINALIZATION: Sex Work, Human Rights and a New Framework for Law Reformit through boyfriends, using drugs . . . you know. Stuff like that. So if you’re careful atwork you really probably shouldn’t catch it. This is my feeling . . .- female off-street out-call sex workerOne massage parlour sex worker explained that proper education enabled her to work for yearswithout ever contracting a sexually transmitted disease:A. I am not an exception. I’ve never had a cold sore. And yet, I have been very successfulin this industry. With lots of regular clients, made lots of money and been very goodat what I did, without risking my health. Like it is possible. Girls don’t have to risktheir health, to make lots of money. And I know dozens and dozens and dozens, likemyself, who’ve never had an STD. And people who, I don’t say they’ve just workeda year or two, I mean people that who had a whole career of it, had never had anSTD.- female off-street in-call sex workerReturning to the issue of enforcing mandatory condom use, one escort suggested that educationwould be the best way to encourage safe practices, even in the face of economic need:A. Once I shut the door, if I didn’t use it, who would know? I mean, how can youregulate something like that? I mean, to me, I can’t imagine having sex without one.If I’m, I’m, on the street, I need a quick fix and the guy offers me $20 extra I cankind of appreciate the desperation that some people are in, and how can you bylawsomething like that, or how can you regulate? You can’t. You can only supply themand hope for the best.Q. So the theme is education as opposed to regulation?A. Exactly.- female off-street out-call sex workerAll sex workers – male and female, street-level, off-street in-call and out-call – wanted training, be itin the form of videos, lectures or courses. Some of them supported the idea of a licensing or certificationprogram for individual workers. One escort explained that education should include access tomedical professionals:A. I think that um – I like to see health care, somewhere that a doctor knows I amcoming in, a doctor or healthcare for sex trade workers . . . that is what I would lookfor the most a doctor who knows this is who I am, and that I am coming in what myrisks are and this is what they need to do, to be informed about . . . And and if wewere having, y’know, Addiction Services, and what will you do if you actually caughtup with an STD or something like that, and how you’re going to deal with it, andhow you intend to do your work if you can or if you can’t, or whatever and how tokeep your clients safe. There needs to be education and services to address all of this.- female off-street out-call sex workerImproved education would give sex workers an increased awareness of their right to a safe, violencefreeworkplace.Safe workplaces and violence preventionCurrently, many sex workers operate in a range of unsafe or harmful conditions, which includebeing forced to engage in unsafe practices – such as unprotected sex – and being subjected to physical,sexual or psychological violence. The WCA and OHSR contain several provisions that obligeemployers to ensure safe physical working conditions. Generally, the workplace safety scheme in123