Services and information utilised by female sex workers for sexual and physical safety

Aims. To examine services utilised by female sex workers in Christchurch fo r sexual and physical. safety. Method. Estimates were made of the sex worker population in Christchurch be fore conducting a cross-sectional survey. Results. 303 women responded. Almost all went for sexual health check-ups. Most (251) had a general practitioner, but only about half disclosed they w ere sex workers. Of the 135 women who used their own general practitioner f or sexual health checks, 62% disclosed they were sex workers. In general, t he women relied upon informal networks for information and advice, but the peer organisation of New Zealand Prostitutes Collective was also important. Conclusion. While general practitioners were used by the majority of sex wo rkers, high levels of nondisclosure need to be understood and redressed. Th e preference of sex workers for informal, peer relationships should be cons idered in future health promotion efforts.