Download pdf. There is a considerable body of literature describing the risks and rates of HIV infection in sex workers in low-income settings, but little is known about these issues in Canada and other high-income countries. In the Canadian context, injection drug use among sex workers and heterosexual transmission to clients and then to their sexual networks is contributing to the HIV epidemic.
By understanding the factors that place people involved with sex work at risk for HIV infection, we can develop interventions to reduce those risks and curb the spread of HIV.
We reviewed 11 studies investigating various populations involved in sex work in Canada. Four studies assessed street youth specifically 1—4 , one recruited Aboriginal women only 5 , three included only female drug users 6—8 , and two addressed women working in indoor settings.
The prevalence of HIV among the participants included in these studies varied widely. The nature of the commercial clients and non-commercial partners that sex workers engage in sex with contributes to their risk of HIV infection. Male and female youth involved in sex work are more likely than their adult counterparts to report inconsistent condom use.
Like youth, adult women are more likely to have unprotected sex with regular clients, which may increase rates of heterosexual HIV transmission. Some studies reported different findings. Especially in studies that recruited only drug using sex workers, unsafe sex practices and pregnancy were not found to be associated with sex trade involvement.
