The Vancouver Sex Work Community Alliance is a partnership between the Health Initiative for Men and the Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, aimed at increasing the wellbeing of sex workers of all genders and promoting their access to healthcare across the Lower Mainland. To do this, we combine research, education, advocacy, and outreach services to sex workers to combat their inequitable healthcare access and provide evidence-based strategies to promoting sex workers’ occupational health, safety, and human rights.
Current Education Opportunity
We are currently offering a series of no-cost education programs to healthcare providers on how to offer non-stigmatizing care to sex workers. These trainings are funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada and developed in partnership with people with experience doing sex work. In-person training will take place within the Vancouver Lower Mainland, but with sufficient interest could be offered more broadly. They are based on peer-reviewed evidence on sex workers’ barriers to accessing healthcare. There are four, 1-hour modules offered in these trainings:
- Sex Work 101: Introduction to Sex Work and Healthcare (Online Webinar)
- Barriers for Sex Workers Accessing Health Care (In-Person)
- How Stigma Shapes Healthcare (In-Person)
- Developing and Implementing Best Practices and Polices (In-Person)
We offer consecutive trainings to organizations that employ healthcare providers and public health professionals, as well as post-secondary courses for healthcare students (e.g., nurses, physicians, pharmacists, paramedics). These trainings are designed to be flexible and can be booked for a single day or multi-day event. To inquire about booking, please email Brett at vswca@checkhimout.ca.
Trainings are currently being offered for Fall 2023 and Winter 2023/2024.
We are also offering these trainings on a rolling basis for a general audience of healthcare providers throughout the year, based on level of interest. If you are an individual healthcare provider, student, or public health professional who would be interested in receiving these trainings when they become available, please sign up for notifications here or email Brett at vswca@checkhimout.ca.
This work takes place on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. We are grateful to be able to do this work on these territories and we support Indigenous peoples’ self-determination and autonomy.