“I’ve just schooled you, so you can’t shame me.” Stigma, Discrimination, and Healthcare Access among Sex Workers in Scotland, the Republic of Ireland, and Aotearoa/New Zealand

Abstract

Drawing on interviews with 70 sex workers in Scotland, the Republic of Ireland, and New Zealand, in this paper we examine experiences accessing healthcare, in relation to stigma, discrimination, and laws governing sex work. Although laws in these countries were historically similar, they now differ considerably. While sex work was decriminalised in New Zealand in 2003 for permanent
residents and citizens, the Republic of Ireland criminalised clients in 2017 (‘the Nordic model’). In Scotland, where an archaic system of criminalisation remains, sex work laws have been subject to ongoing debate, with a subset of politicians and activists campaigning for the Nordic model. Focusing on experiences accessing health care services, in this paper we foreground the voices of sex workers, illustrating how laws impact people in tangible ways and make a case for a model of full decriminalisation, grounded in equality, rights, and social justice.

Keywords: decriminalisation, Nordic model, sex work, stigma, healthcare.