East London Project (Component A)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A participatory mixed-method evaluation on how removing sex work-related police enforcement could affect sex workers’ safety, health and access to services, in East London
IRAS ID
204494
Contact name
Pippa Grenfell
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 8 days
Research summary
This research project will evaluate how removing sex work-related police enforcement could affect sex workers’ safety, sexual and emotional health (e.g. risk of HIV, STIs, depression and anxiety) and access to health and social care services, in East London (Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets). The project adopts a participatory, mixed-methods approach, in which academics, practitioners and sex workers will work as partners to make decisions over how the research is designed, conducted and used.
The project has four key components (A-D). This application relates to component A only but will make reference to components B-D, and the wider project, as appropriate. A separate ethics application will be submitted for components B-D.
Component A comprises a qualitative study to understand how sex work-related laws and police enforcement affects sex workers’ safety, health and access to care, in Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets. This will include interviewing sex workers, other people working in the sex industry (e.g. receptionists, managers, security guards) and key stakeholders (e.g. outreach workers, police), and carrying out neighbourhood walks with sex workers and outreach workers, in the study boroughs.
The data generated via component A will be used to inform the development of study instruments (questionnaires, model parameters, data collection forms) for components B-D: (B) a two-wave survey, collecting behavioural and HIV/STI biological data, (C) a mathematical model, and (D) collation of prostitution-arrest data.
Data from the study components will be combined to evaluate how removing sex work-related police enforcement could impact on sex workers’ health (HIV, STIs, anxiety, depression), safety, and access to services, in these boroughs.
We will use the results to advocate for evidence-based policy and practice to improve the safety, health and well-being of sex workers in the UK and internationally.
REC name
London - Stanmore Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/0772
Date of REC Opinion
12 Jun 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion