Health and Safety Information for Sex Workers
Health and safety information for brothels, prostitutes, sex workers and their clients in compliance with the Prostitution Reform Act 2003.
The full resource:
Prostitution Reform Act 2003
Under the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 prostitution in New Zealand is no longer against the law.
The Act states that sex workers and their clients must adopt safer sex practices to reduce the risk of getting or passing on sexually transmissible infections (STIs).
This means you must take all reasonable steps to ensure commercial sex services are not provided without using a condom or other appropriate barrier. This includes vaginal, anal or oral sex, or another activity that may lead to the transmission of sexually transmissible infections (STIs).
Clients and sex workers must not say or imply that a medical examination means they are not infected or likely to be infected with an STI.
You may be prosecuted and fined up to $2,000 in a court of law if you do not comply with the Act.
If you think you may have an STI contact your doctor, nurse, sexual health service, family planning clinic or your sex workers' organisation.
Operators of businesses of prostitution are also required to adopt and promote safer sex practices, including display of information.
Further Information
If you would like more information on sexual health issues contact:
- Sexual Health Services under ‘S’ in the white pages of your local phone book or see the Auckland Sexual Health Service website www.ashs.org.nz for sexual health clinics in your area
- Family Planning on 0800 FPA LINE or www.familyplanning.org.nz
- Public Health Unit of your local District Health Board.
To find out more about the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 contact:
- Ministry of Health www.health.govt.nz
- New Zealand Prostitutes Collective in the white pages of your local phone book.
- Department of Labour A Guide to Occupational Health and Safety in the New Zealand Sex Industry.