What is Harm Reduction?

Its about preventing disease, death, isolation or incarceration.

In the case of sex workers this can be complicated by the fact the very law that is set out to protect people can also be their biggest hurdle in enabling harm reduction to take place.

The second set of complications for the sex industry is social stigma. Within that arena sexual prejudice is another factor that has to be faced. Another reason why some people in the sex industry find the need to take drugs/alcohol. It can become a vicious circle of not being or feeling accepted. Though I hasten to add drug/alcohol abuse is a symptom of humanity not of sex work. It occurs in all walks of life, the same as disease, death, isolation & incarceration. Social pressures just emphasises them.

Description Courtesy Lynne Tansey

Stages of Change, A Trans-Theoretical Model

A Trans theoretical Model

Adapted from the works of Edith Springer(2003), by Gayle T. Thomas, 2003

How can we work with people in the community who don’t seem to want to change? How can we work with people who come to agencies for help with some things, or who we encounter during street outreach, but don’t want to address other important issues that may be negatively impacting their lives? In the past most of the services provided to consumers were office bound and this model of service delivery does not work for individuals who don’t want to access this model of traditional social services. More

Harm Reduction for Adult Film Actresses, by Alex Foxe and Jacklyn Lick