The GSHI is an umbrella program of research projects both locally and internationally, focused on gender, sexual health, and HIV/AIDS, with particular attention on the intersections with social inequities, public policy, and access to care. This program reflects multiple community partnerships and collaborations.

The GSHI was recently awarded one of six large team grants across Canada on gender, violence and health from the CIHR Institute of Gender and Health. This grant will support policy-oriented research, student training opportunities, and knowledge exchange between key stakeholders (e.g. community, public, policy makers) on gender, violence and HIV in Canada and comparative international settings (e.g., Uganda, India, Thailand).

As part of the gender, violence and HIV team, GSHI is working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to conduct systematic reviews of the links between violence and HIV among sex workers globally. This review will inform a consultation and development of best practice guidelines on HIV/STI prevention, treatment and care among sex workers in 2012, held jointly by WHO, UN, and the Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP. In addition to peer-review literature, if you are aware of any grey literature (policy reports, community reports) on successful interventions addressing violence and associated HIV risks in the sex industry, please forward to us at: gshi@cfenet.ubc.ca. All work included will be cited in the final review.

Below are summaries of recent GSHI publications:

Risky health environments: Women sex workers' struggles to find safe, secure and non-exploitative housing in Canada's poorest postal code

This report published in Social Science and Medicine summarizes the extreme physical, social, and economic exploitation faced by women in low income, male-centred housing models in Vancouver and the critical need for women-centred programs and supportive management policies to reduce violence and HIV-related risks for sex workers (L Lazarus, J Chettiar, K Deering, R Nabess, K Shannon)

Homelessness among street-based sex workers: The need for safer environment interventions 

This report published in BMC Public Health describes the high rates of 'absolute homelessness' (sleeping on the street) among street-based sex workers over 18-months follow-up, and links with increased risk for sexual violence by intimate (non-commercial) partners. These findings further support the need for increased access to safe, secure housing for women (P Duff, K Deering, K Gibson, M Tyndall, K Shannon)

An unmet reproductive health need among street-based sex workers

This report published in BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth addresses the overwhelming gap in reproductive health services and support for some of the most vulnerable pregnant and parenting women in the sex industry in Canada (P Duff, J Shoveller, R Zhang, D Alexson, JS Montaner, K Shannon)

Occupational sex work stigma as a primary barrier to health access

This report published in Culture, Health & Sexuality documents occupational stigma surrounding sex work and the direct link to poor health access (L Lazarus, K Deering, R Nabess, K Gibson, M Tyndall, K Shannon)

The street cost of drugs and sex work income

This report published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence describes the role of the drug market costs in driving sex work income in street-involved populations and the need for harm reduction interventions and evidence-based policies tailored to this population (K Deering, J Shoveller, MW Tyndall, JS Montaner, K Shannon)

Structural vulnerabilities among female street youth

This report published in Journal of Adolescent Health summarizes the systemic vulnerabilities for youth, particularly Aboriginal youth, in the most visible aspects of Canada's sex industry. Youth were much more likely than adults to work and live in marginalized public spaces (e.g. dark alleys and industrial settings) with elevated risks for poor health outcomes (C Miller, SJ Fielden, MW Tyndall, R Zhang, K Gibson, K Shannon)

Gender inequity norms and increased male-perpetrated rape and sexual risks for HIV infection in Botswana and Swaziland

This report published in PLoS ONE describes gender inequity norms and links to perpetration of rape and sexual risks for HIV infection among men and women in Botswana and Swaziland. The findings point to the critical need for gender transformative HIV prevention efforts, including legislation of women's rights in two of the most HIV affected countries in the world (K Shannon, K Leiter, N Phaladze, Z Hlanze, AC Tsai, M Heisler, V Iacopino, SD Weiser)

The abstracts and link to the full reports can also be found on our GSHI webpage.