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Open Doors Sexual Health Clinic Website

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The Open Doors Sexual Health Clinic team of nurses in East London, United Kingdom (UK), provides sexual health services, including HIV prevention and treatment, to the public, including sexual health advice, check-ups, and free condoms to sex workers of local brothels. It is associated with the National Health Service (NHS) of the UK. In preparation for the summer Olympics of 2012, the clinic sought to find an alternative route to provide healthcare to sex workers, particularly where existing networks for sex worker support might have been disrupted by reported attempts to shut down brothels.

Communication Strategies

Cooperation between GreenNet, a not-for-profit internet service provider (ISP,) and the Open Doors Sexual Health Clinic resulted in the strategy of creating an information website for sex workers.

 

GreenNet’s task was to build a website that could speak clearly to east London sex workers with the sorts of advice that nurses provide during clinic visits. Requests such as: "I want condoms," "I want advice," "I want a checkup" prompt the appearance of an online form. It is also is integrated into every webpage and aims to encourage sex workers to get in touch with the clinic for services. The site includes translations of all its content into Portuguese, Romanian, Polish, and Chinese.

 

The site includes a Twitter feed so that nurses can update site content and reach followers via their mobile phones.

 

The website contains links to and information on the following:

 

 

  • Union for sex workers
  • Policing
  • Law & Maids
  • Legal Advice
  • Sex Worker Projects
  • Male and Transgender Sex workers
  • Health Care in the UK
  • Free English Classes
  • Latin American Women’s Rights Service
  • English Collective of Prostitutes

 

 

In addition, Open Doors produced leaflets for sex workers with commissioned artwork as illustrations.

Development Issues

Women, HIV/AIDS

Key Points

According to the Open Doors website: "The 2012 Olympic Games are already having quite an impact on sex workers in East London. There have been lots of brothel closures over the last 12 months which have caused problems.  Some of the problems are:

 

 

  • Flats are forced to close and then re-open with fewer or no security arrangements in place.
  • Women are working alone and are more vulnerable to robbery, rape and sexual assault.
  • Women are losing touch with sexual health and support services."
Partners

GreenNet and Open Doors Clinic

Sources

GenderIT.org website and Open Doors website, July 12 2012.