ABSTRACT The paper uses 2006 survey data to examine sex workers' safety in the post-decri... more ABSTRACT The paper uses 2006 survey data to examine sex workers' safety in the post-decriminalised sex industry in New Zealand. We use probit analysis to examine institutional and individual factors that affect the likelihood of sex workers experiencing physical and sexual violence, theft and threats by clients. We find that alcohol and/or drug dependency more than doubles the risk of violence across the three sectors within the industry. After controlling for individual factors, including alcohol and drug use, we find no significant sectorial differences for the probability of violence, while the street sector has more theft and threats than the other sectors.
Aims To estimate the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis among young people in Year 12 and Year 1... more Aims To estimate the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis among young people in Year 12 and Year 13 in Christchurch secondary schools. Methods A cross-sectional survey on sexual behaviour was carried out in conjunction with the collection of urine samples, which were tested for C. trachomatis. Results 1582 young people were invited to take part in the study. 72% of these
To explore the views of GPs and specialists on colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. Qualitative stu... more To explore the views of GPs and specialists on colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews of 15 GPs and 11 specialists investigating views on the proposed introduction of CRC screening in New Zealand. Both GPs and specialists in this study, whilst agreeing on the overall merit of a population screening programme for CRC in New Zealand, argued that there were not sufficient resources to warrant the implementation of such a programme. There was also little support, especially by the GPs, for the faecal occult blood test, which is likely to be the screening test if implemented. The concerns of GPs and specialists need to be addressed if a screening programme for CRC is introduced in New Zealand. GPs undoubtedly would have to be the advocates of this programme to their patients and therefore they will have to be convinced of the value of this exercise.
Effective communication is fundamental to successful health care service delivery, and has a posi... more Effective communication is fundamental to successful health care service delivery, and has a positive impact on access, quality of care, health outcomes, and patient satisfaction. Although there are a growing number of New Zealanders who do not speak English proficiently, underutilisation of trained interpreter services appears to be common in primary health care settings. To describe the pattern of interpreter service need and utilisation by general practice services, and to identify key barriers and enabling factors to the use of trained interpreters. A mixed methods study was employed. Census and Partnership Health Canterbury Te Kei o Te Waka (PHC) databases were combined, and quantitative analysis used to derive interpreter service need and utilisation patterns. Transcripts of focus groups and interviews from general practitioners, practice nurses and practice administration staff within the PHC were analysed, using qualitative methods to identify barriers and enablers to interpreter service use. For the years 2008-2010, approximately 10 742 consultations per year involved a non-Englishspeaking patient, yet in only approximately 74.8 (0.7%) consultations per year were interpreter services utilised. Analysis of focus groups and interviews identified four global themes that represented barriers for interpreter service utilisation; namely, practicalities, expectations, knowledge of service, and systems. The current use of interpreter services in PHC general practice appears to be significantly less than the need. In order to maximise health outcomes and reduce risk, strategies must be initiated to counter the barriers currently inhibiting interpreter service use, including adopting best practice policies.
This project was part-funded by the Ministry of Justice. However, the views, opinions, findings a... more This project was part-funded by the Ministry of Justice. However, the views, opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are strictly those of the author/s. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry ...
Taking the crime out of sex workNew Zealand sex workers' fight for decriminalisation, 2010
THIRTEEN Risk and risk management in sex work post-Prostitution Reform Act: a public health persp... more THIRTEEN Risk and risk management in sex work post-Prostitution Reform Act: a public health perspective Gillian Abel and Lisa Fitzgerald Introduction In many countries, including New Zealand, harm minimisation has been the predominant philosophy informing public ...
Taking the crime out of sex workNew Zealand sex workers' fight for decriminalisation, 2010
FOURTEEN Decriminalisation and stigma Gillian Abel and Lisa Fitzgerald This chapter further exami... more FOURTEEN Decriminalisation and stigma Gillian Abel and Lisa Fitzgerald This chapter further examines the emotional health of sex workers, as discussed in the previous chapter, in light of the stigma that sex workers continue to experience post-decriminalisation. We draw on ...
In 2003 the Prostitution Reform Act (PRA) was passed in New Zealand which decriminalised all acti... more In 2003 the Prostitution Reform Act (PRA) was passed in New Zealand which decriminalised all activities associated with sex work. To explore sex workers' utilisation of health services in New Zealand following decriminalisation of sex work and disclosure of their occupation to health professionals. A cross-sectional survey was carried out with 772 sex workers and in-depth interviews were carried out with 58 sex workers in New Zealand. Most sex workers have regular sexual health check-ups and most access their general practitioner (GP) for both general health needs (91.8%) and sexual health needs (41.3%). A quarter of the participants accessed a local sexual health centre for their sexual health needs and just over 15% accessed New Zealand Prostitutes' Collective's (NZPC's) Sexual Health Clinic. Little change was found in disclosure of occupation to health professionals following decriminalisation. Sex workers remain concerned about disclosing their occupation because...
Effective communication is fundamental to successful health care service delivery, and has a posi... more Effective communication is fundamental to successful health care service delivery, and has a positive impact on access, quality of care, health outcomes, and patient satisfaction. Although there are a growing number of New Zealanders who do not speak English proficiently, underutilisation of trained interpreter services appears to be common in primary health care settings. To describe the pattern of interpreter service need and utilisation by general practice services, and to identify key barriers and enabling factors to the use of trained interpreters. A mixed methods study was employed. Census and Partnership Health Canterbury Te Kei o Te Waka (PHC) databases were combined, and quantitative analysis used to derive interpreter service need and utilisation patterns. Transcripts of focus groups and interviews from general practitioners, practice nurses and practice administration staff within the PHC were analysed, using qualitative methods to identify barriers and enablers to interp...
Access to primary health care services has been identified as a problem for Pacific peoples. Alth... more Access to primary health care services has been identified as a problem for Pacific peoples. Although cost is the most frequently cited barrier to Pacific service utilisation, some research has indicated that access may also be influenced by features of mainstream primary care services. This study aimed to identify features of mainstream general practice services that act as barriers to accessing these services for Pacific peoples in order to explore strategies that providers could adopt to enable their practices to be more welcoming, accessible and appropriate for Pacific peoples. Pacific participants were recruited through Pacific networks known to Pegasus Health and via 'snowball' sampling. In total, 20 participants participated in one of three focus groups. A semi-structured interview explored the participants' views and experiences of mainstream general practice care. Thematic analysis was utilised to interpret the data. The analysis revealed five themes highlightin...
This paper uses Arlie Hochschild's (1983) concept of emotion management a... more This paper uses Arlie Hochschild's (1983) concept of emotion management and "surface" and "deep acting" to explore how sex workers separate and distance themselves from their public role. Experiences of stigmatisation prevail among sex workers and how stigma is resisted or managed has an impact on their health. In-depth interviews were carried out between August 2006 and April 2007 with 58 sex workers in five cities in New Zealand following decriminalisation of the sex industry. Most participants drew on ideas of professionalism in sustaining a psychological distance between their private and public lives. They utilised "deep acting", transmuting private experiences for use in the work environment, to accredit themselves as professional in their business practices. They also constructed different meanings for sex between public and private relationships with the condom providing an important symbol in separating the two. A few (mostly female street-based) participants were less adept at "deep acting" and relied on drugs to maintain a separation of roles. This paper argues that in an occupation which is highly stigmatised and in which depersonalisation as an aspect of burn-out has been reported as a common occurrence, the ability to draw on strategies which require "deep acting" provides a healthy estrangement between self and role and can be seen as protective. The separation of self from work identity is not damaging as many radical feminists would claim, but an effective strategy to manage emotions. Hochschild, A. (1983). The managed heart: Commercialization of human feeling. Berkeley: University of California Press.
To estimate the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis among young people in Year 12 and Year 13 in ... more To estimate the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis among young people in Year 12 and Year 13 in Christchurch secondary schools. A cross-sectional survey on sexual behaviour was carried out in conjunction with the collection of urine samples, which were tested for C. trachomatis. 1582 young people were invited to take part in the study. 72% of these students answered the questionnaire of whom 49% had experienced sexual intercourse. The mean age of the sample was 16.7 years. The prevalence of C. trachomatis among the sexually active participants who provided a urine sample was 2.0% (1.8% of males and 2.3% of females). 39% of sexually active participants had had one partner in their lifetime and 13% had had more than five partners. 51% of males and 39% of females indicated that they always used condoms and 69% of males and 57% of females reported using a condom on the last occasion of sexual intercourse. Our study shows that 2.0% of sexually active senior high school students have asy...
Taking the crime out of sex workNew Zealand sex workers' fight for decriminalisation, 2010
TWELVE The media and the Prostitution Reform Act Lisa Fitzgerald and Gillian Abel &am... more TWELVE The media and the Prostitution Reform Act Lisa Fitzgerald and Gillian Abel 'I think it's salacious [media reporting on sex work]. I think they like it because it's ear pricking, you know, it's eye popping, it's attention grabbing, you know. I don't think they care about sex ...
To explore the views of GPs and specialists on colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. Qualitative stu... more To explore the views of GPs and specialists on colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews of 15 GPs and 11 specialists investigating views on the proposed introduction of CRC screening in New Zealand. Both GPs and specialists in this study, whilst agreeing on the overall merit of a population screening programme for CRC in New Zealand, argued that there were not sufficient resources to warrant the implementation of such a programme. There was also little support, especially by the GPs, for the faecal occult blood test, which is likely to be the screening test if implemented. The concerns of GPs and specialists need to be addressed if a screening programme for CRC is introduced in New Zealand. GPs undoubtedly would have to be the advocates of this programme to their patients and therefore they will have to be convinced of the value of this exercise.
Taking the crime out of sex workNew Zealand sex workers' fight for decriminalisation, 2010
FIVE The Prostitution Reform Act Gillian Abel, Catherine Healy, Calum Bennachie and Anna Reed Int... more FIVE The Prostitution Reform Act Gillian Abel, Catherine Healy, Calum Bennachie and Anna Reed Introduction As discussed in the previous chapter, the successful lobbying for change in how the sex industry was regulated in New Zealand culminated in a parliamentary vote ...
... Catherine Healy, with Aline Taylor (Eds.) (2010) Bristol: Policy Press. Reviewed by CarolHarr... more ... Catherine Healy, with Aline Taylor (Eds.) (2010) Bristol: Policy Press. Reviewed by CarolHarrington Taking the Crime out of Sex Work brings together the latest research on New Zealand's 2003 Prostitution Reform Act and provides a celebratory ...
Traditionally, school-based sex education has provided information-based programmes, with the ass... more Traditionally, school-based sex education has provided information-based programmes, with the assumption that young people make rational decisions with regard to the use of condoms. However, these programmes fail to take into account contextual issues and ...
ABSTRACT The paper uses 2006 survey data to examine sex workers' safety in the post-decri... more ABSTRACT The paper uses 2006 survey data to examine sex workers' safety in the post-decriminalised sex industry in New Zealand. We use probit analysis to examine institutional and individual factors that affect the likelihood of sex workers experiencing physical and sexual violence, theft and threats by clients. We find that alcohol and/or drug dependency more than doubles the risk of violence across the three sectors within the industry. After controlling for individual factors, including alcohol and drug use, we find no significant sectorial differences for the probability of violence, while the street sector has more theft and threats than the other sectors.
Aims To estimate the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis among young people in Year 12 and Year 1... more Aims To estimate the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis among young people in Year 12 and Year 13 in Christchurch secondary schools. Methods A cross-sectional survey on sexual behaviour was carried out in conjunction with the collection of urine samples, which were tested for C. trachomatis. Results 1582 young people were invited to take part in the study. 72% of these
To explore the views of GPs and specialists on colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. Qualitative stu... more To explore the views of GPs and specialists on colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews of 15 GPs and 11 specialists investigating views on the proposed introduction of CRC screening in New Zealand. Both GPs and specialists in this study, whilst agreeing on the overall merit of a population screening programme for CRC in New Zealand, argued that there were not sufficient resources to warrant the implementation of such a programme. There was also little support, especially by the GPs, for the faecal occult blood test, which is likely to be the screening test if implemented. The concerns of GPs and specialists need to be addressed if a screening programme for CRC is introduced in New Zealand. GPs undoubtedly would have to be the advocates of this programme to their patients and therefore they will have to be convinced of the value of this exercise.
Effective communication is fundamental to successful health care service delivery, and has a posi... more Effective communication is fundamental to successful health care service delivery, and has a positive impact on access, quality of care, health outcomes, and patient satisfaction. Although there are a growing number of New Zealanders who do not speak English proficiently, underutilisation of trained interpreter services appears to be common in primary health care settings. To describe the pattern of interpreter service need and utilisation by general practice services, and to identify key barriers and enabling factors to the use of trained interpreters. A mixed methods study was employed. Census and Partnership Health Canterbury Te Kei o Te Waka (PHC) databases were combined, and quantitative analysis used to derive interpreter service need and utilisation patterns. Transcripts of focus groups and interviews from general practitioners, practice nurses and practice administration staff within the PHC were analysed, using qualitative methods to identify barriers and enablers to interpreter service use. For the years 2008-2010, approximately 10 742 consultations per year involved a non-Englishspeaking patient, yet in only approximately 74.8 (0.7%) consultations per year were interpreter services utilised. Analysis of focus groups and interviews identified four global themes that represented barriers for interpreter service utilisation; namely, practicalities, expectations, knowledge of service, and systems. The current use of interpreter services in PHC general practice appears to be significantly less than the need. In order to maximise health outcomes and reduce risk, strategies must be initiated to counter the barriers currently inhibiting interpreter service use, including adopting best practice policies.
This project was part-funded by the Ministry of Justice. However, the views, opinions, findings a... more This project was part-funded by the Ministry of Justice. However, the views, opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are strictly those of the author/s. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry ...
Taking the crime out of sex workNew Zealand sex workers' fight for decriminalisation, 2010
THIRTEEN Risk and risk management in sex work post-Prostitution Reform Act: a public health persp... more THIRTEEN Risk and risk management in sex work post-Prostitution Reform Act: a public health perspective Gillian Abel and Lisa Fitzgerald Introduction In many countries, including New Zealand, harm minimisation has been the predominant philosophy informing public ...
Taking the crime out of sex workNew Zealand sex workers' fight for decriminalisation, 2010
FOURTEEN Decriminalisation and stigma Gillian Abel and Lisa Fitzgerald This chapter further exami... more FOURTEEN Decriminalisation and stigma Gillian Abel and Lisa Fitzgerald This chapter further examines the emotional health of sex workers, as discussed in the previous chapter, in light of the stigma that sex workers continue to experience post-decriminalisation. We draw on ...
In 2003 the Prostitution Reform Act (PRA) was passed in New Zealand which decriminalised all acti... more In 2003 the Prostitution Reform Act (PRA) was passed in New Zealand which decriminalised all activities associated with sex work. To explore sex workers' utilisation of health services in New Zealand following decriminalisation of sex work and disclosure of their occupation to health professionals. A cross-sectional survey was carried out with 772 sex workers and in-depth interviews were carried out with 58 sex workers in New Zealand. Most sex workers have regular sexual health check-ups and most access their general practitioner (GP) for both general health needs (91.8%) and sexual health needs (41.3%). A quarter of the participants accessed a local sexual health centre for their sexual health needs and just over 15% accessed New Zealand Prostitutes' Collective's (NZPC's) Sexual Health Clinic. Little change was found in disclosure of occupation to health professionals following decriminalisation. Sex workers remain concerned about disclosing their occupation because...
Effective communication is fundamental to successful health care service delivery, and has a posi... more Effective communication is fundamental to successful health care service delivery, and has a positive impact on access, quality of care, health outcomes, and patient satisfaction. Although there are a growing number of New Zealanders who do not speak English proficiently, underutilisation of trained interpreter services appears to be common in primary health care settings. To describe the pattern of interpreter service need and utilisation by general practice services, and to identify key barriers and enabling factors to the use of trained interpreters. A mixed methods study was employed. Census and Partnership Health Canterbury Te Kei o Te Waka (PHC) databases were combined, and quantitative analysis used to derive interpreter service need and utilisation patterns. Transcripts of focus groups and interviews from general practitioners, practice nurses and practice administration staff within the PHC were analysed, using qualitative methods to identify barriers and enablers to interp...
Access to primary health care services has been identified as a problem for Pacific peoples. Alth... more Access to primary health care services has been identified as a problem for Pacific peoples. Although cost is the most frequently cited barrier to Pacific service utilisation, some research has indicated that access may also be influenced by features of mainstream primary care services. This study aimed to identify features of mainstream general practice services that act as barriers to accessing these services for Pacific peoples in order to explore strategies that providers could adopt to enable their practices to be more welcoming, accessible and appropriate for Pacific peoples. Pacific participants were recruited through Pacific networks known to Pegasus Health and via 'snowball' sampling. In total, 20 participants participated in one of three focus groups. A semi-structured interview explored the participants' views and experiences of mainstream general practice care. Thematic analysis was utilised to interpret the data. The analysis revealed five themes highlightin...
This paper uses Arlie Hochschild's (1983) concept of emotion management a... more This paper uses Arlie Hochschild's (1983) concept of emotion management and "surface" and "deep acting" to explore how sex workers separate and distance themselves from their public role. Experiences of stigmatisation prevail among sex workers and how stigma is resisted or managed has an impact on their health. In-depth interviews were carried out between August 2006 and April 2007 with 58 sex workers in five cities in New Zealand following decriminalisation of the sex industry. Most participants drew on ideas of professionalism in sustaining a psychological distance between their private and public lives. They utilised "deep acting", transmuting private experiences for use in the work environment, to accredit themselves as professional in their business practices. They also constructed different meanings for sex between public and private relationships with the condom providing an important symbol in separating the two. A few (mostly female street-based) participants were less adept at "deep acting" and relied on drugs to maintain a separation of roles. This paper argues that in an occupation which is highly stigmatised and in which depersonalisation as an aspect of burn-out has been reported as a common occurrence, the ability to draw on strategies which require "deep acting" provides a healthy estrangement between self and role and can be seen as protective. The separation of self from work identity is not damaging as many radical feminists would claim, but an effective strategy to manage emotions. Hochschild, A. (1983). The managed heart: Commercialization of human feeling. Berkeley: University of California Press.
To estimate the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis among young people in Year 12 and Year 13 in ... more To estimate the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis among young people in Year 12 and Year 13 in Christchurch secondary schools. A cross-sectional survey on sexual behaviour was carried out in conjunction with the collection of urine samples, which were tested for C. trachomatis. 1582 young people were invited to take part in the study. 72% of these students answered the questionnaire of whom 49% had experienced sexual intercourse. The mean age of the sample was 16.7 years. The prevalence of C. trachomatis among the sexually active participants who provided a urine sample was 2.0% (1.8% of males and 2.3% of females). 39% of sexually active participants had had one partner in their lifetime and 13% had had more than five partners. 51% of males and 39% of females indicated that they always used condoms and 69% of males and 57% of females reported using a condom on the last occasion of sexual intercourse. Our study shows that 2.0% of sexually active senior high school students have asy...
Taking the crime out of sex workNew Zealand sex workers' fight for decriminalisation, 2010
TWELVE The media and the Prostitution Reform Act Lisa Fitzgerald and Gillian Abel &am... more TWELVE The media and the Prostitution Reform Act Lisa Fitzgerald and Gillian Abel 'I think it's salacious [media reporting on sex work]. I think they like it because it's ear pricking, you know, it's eye popping, it's attention grabbing, you know. I don't think they care about sex ...
To explore the views of GPs and specialists on colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. Qualitative stu... more To explore the views of GPs and specialists on colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews of 15 GPs and 11 specialists investigating views on the proposed introduction of CRC screening in New Zealand. Both GPs and specialists in this study, whilst agreeing on the overall merit of a population screening programme for CRC in New Zealand, argued that there were not sufficient resources to warrant the implementation of such a programme. There was also little support, especially by the GPs, for the faecal occult blood test, which is likely to be the screening test if implemented. The concerns of GPs and specialists need to be addressed if a screening programme for CRC is introduced in New Zealand. GPs undoubtedly would have to be the advocates of this programme to their patients and therefore they will have to be convinced of the value of this exercise.
Taking the crime out of sex workNew Zealand sex workers' fight for decriminalisation, 2010
FIVE The Prostitution Reform Act Gillian Abel, Catherine Healy, Calum Bennachie and Anna Reed Int... more FIVE The Prostitution Reform Act Gillian Abel, Catherine Healy, Calum Bennachie and Anna Reed Introduction As discussed in the previous chapter, the successful lobbying for change in how the sex industry was regulated in New Zealand culminated in a parliamentary vote ...
... Catherine Healy, with Aline Taylor (Eds.) (2010) Bristol: Policy Press. Reviewed by CarolHarr... more ... Catherine Healy, with Aline Taylor (Eds.) (2010) Bristol: Policy Press. Reviewed by CarolHarrington Taking the Crime out of Sex Work brings together the latest research on New Zealand's 2003 Prostitution Reform Act and provides a celebratory ...
Traditionally, school-based sex education has provided information-based programmes, with the ass... more Traditionally, school-based sex education has provided information-based programmes, with the assumption that young people make rational decisions with regard to the use of condoms. However, these programmes fail to take into account contextual issues and ...
Uploads
Papers by Gillian Abel