honorarium for your participation in our study!

The AESHA Project is currently recruiting females and trans women who have traded sex for money, drugs, gifts or shelter in the last 30 days. We want to talk to you about your sexual health, access to care, safety and risks. You will receive an honorarium at your interview and at each 6 month follow-up for the next five years. Please contact the AESHA Outreach Team CONFIDENTIALLY at 778-891-6252 or 604 569-3701 or email us at AESHA@cfenet.ubc.ca

i just want to support this study. i know these researchers personally. it would be really great if independent workers...and agency or parlour workers took part. this way we will be included in the stats about our health that are out there. often very few or no empowered workers are included in these studies and so the outcomes only reflect the health of street entrenched workers. i know the way its worded above sounds kind of "street based". i mean, none of us are really trading sex for drugs or shelter...are we. we are more empowered than that and ,as most people, work for money. i am sure they didn't mean it to come off that way and can tell you they are not judgemental people, they are totally cool and committed to the truth about our health and lives as well as to the decriminalization of sex work. they will respect confidentiality and use the data they collect to further the fight for our rights. i am going to take part and hope others will consider doing so too. love susieXXXO

I was reading the WISH website and it said this about the AESHA study: The AESHA Project continues to focus on women struggling with poverty and/or addictions – including solicitation on the street, bars, informal indoor spaces, and micro-brothels. This research project does not currently focus on male sex workers or those working in higher-end sex industry (e.g. escort agencies) or formal establishment-based venues, e.g. exotic dancers Click to expand... (http://www.wish-vancouver.net/index.cfm?go=site.index&section=programs&page=maka) While I would be very happy to take part in this study and contribute information about my experiences as a sex-worker, I am a bit confused as to why the researchers are seeking participants on perb. I would argue that most of the independent escorts who advertise on perb belong to the "higher-end sex industry."

Holly Taylor said: I was reading the WISH website and it said this about the AESHA study: (http://www.wish-vancouver.net/index.cfm?go=site.index&section=programs&page=maka) While I would be very happy to take part in this study and contribute information about my experiences as a sex-worker, I am a bit confused as to why the researchers are seeking participants on perb. I would argue that most of the independent escorts who advertise on perb belong to the "higher-end sex industry." Click to expand... I'm curious about this too... perhaps I'm reading it wrong, but the wording of the recruitment post ("Anyone who has traded sex for money, drugs, gifts or shelter...") suggests that they're primarily interested in those who engage in survival sex work, as opposed to those of us who consider ourselves entrepeneurs? Normally I'd be interested in participating, if for no other reason than the specific interest in trans sex workers - we're often underrepresented in these discussions, and I applaud the recent efforts to include trans voices in the sex work debate. But if they're targeting a specific demographic in their study, perhaps it's best if I sat this one out. Maybe the OP can respond to some of the questions in this thread? I think it's a worthwhile study regardless, but it would be helpful to know what their threshold is for "higher-end" providers. [:)]

Hi everyone, Thanks so much for your interest in the project, and for raising these important questions. The information posted on the WISH website is a little out-dated, unfortunately. Since that page was put together, we've been able to expand the scope of the project so that it's not focused entirely on low-income sex work. We are looking for self-identified women working in both indoor and outdoor environments. We'd like to get a variety of voices and experiences in the study, and this would include workers in a range of income brackets. The language used in the original posting was originally drafted to be inclusive of anyone trading sex for drugs, shelter, money, gifts or other. We wanted to be sensitive to the fact that not everyone doing so will identify explicitly as a sex worker, and so generalized the text in our ads. Ironically, we think this has had the effect of perhaps alienating women who *do* explicitly identify as sex workers! We will be sure to tailor our messages to the audience more carefully in future. We hope this answers any of the questions or concerns raised here, if not please don't hesitate to get in touch directly at aesha@cfenet.ubc.ca or to post further messages here. We'll also be sure to update our page on the WISH website. Thanks again! The AESHA Project Team

Thanks for responding so quickly to the questions that Nikki and I raised! I'm sure we will both be glad to help. I, too, am very happy about the inclusion of trans voices in this research. Warm wishes, Holly.

gigolojake said: I think...and I am happy to be corrected...that I am the only straight male escort in Vancouver. Certainly the only one with any longevity. Likely you will continue to exclude men, but I think I would find your questions very interesting also. The publications previously created by the project do cross over the gender barrier in some areas. If you ever consider including men, I would find it fascinating. Click to expand... There are loads of straight male escorts in Vancouver [:)] you read too much in to their business practices.

gigolojake said: Can you tell me what you mean by this "you read too much in to their business practices"??? Thanks. Click to expand... I could be wrong, but she may be referring to that some male escorts that see men, may actually be heterosexual, but gay for pay. I actually used to know a male escort that identified as heterosexual, but gay for pay. I shared an incall with him years ago. He would see anybody with money. His attitude was it was all just sex.

Our project has expanded and we are still recruiting women and trans women for our study! Please contact the AESHA outreach team at 778-891-6252 or aesha@cfenet.bc.ca