June 17th, 2019

On Friday 19 April, my dearest friend, a fellow final-year medical student, and I began the long journey to New Zealand, writes Rebecca John (pictured left in Aukland). We flew from Heathrow, had a layover in Guangzhou, China, and finally arrived in Auckland, New Zealand after 30 hours.

I have a keen interest in sexual health and women’s health and so I decided working with the New Zealand Prostitutes’ Collective (NZPC) would be the ideal place for my elective. This was also an opportunity to work with a diverse group of people, spanning a range of gender identities,
ethnicities, ages and backgrounds.

The NZPC is a non-governmental organisation that advocates for sex workers’ rights and provides services such as sexual health clinics, legal advice and advice on welfare/benefits etc. It is a peer-based service i.e. all the staff are current or former sex workers. The NZPC formed in 1987 and had been advocating for the decriminalisation of sex work since 1989. In 2003, they were successful. The government decriminalised sex work in NZ, increasing workers’ rights, improving wellbeing and reducing crimes/violence against sex workers. The NZPC has also been contracted by the government since 1988 to provide sexual health services to sex workers.

The elective was structured over six weeks, spending two weeks each in the NZPC offices in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. In all three offices we took part in volunteer duties, such as making health promotion posters and making ‘street packs’; packs containing various safe sex supplies. Outreach work involved visiting parts of the cities where sex workers were based, providing them with street packs and talking to them about any concerns. Often, information was shared regarding difficult or violent clients, ensuring other workers could avoid them. Additionally, doctor- or nurse-led sexual health clinics were run on a weekly basis. We were able to sit in on these clinics (patient permitting) and on occasions to assist in the medical duties. Throughout the day, sex workers were welcome to come in to sit and chat, as well as have some food or a cup of tea.

We began our time with the NZPC in the Auckland office. The office is in the city centre, just off Karangahape Road (locally known as K’ road); a bright, vibrant area filled with bars, cafes and thrift shops. The Auckland office served the most street-based sex workers, compared to other offices in the country, and as a result made more than 100 street packs ready for outreach during our time there.

Outside of work, we took part in some tourist activities, including visiting Hobbiton (permanent movie set used in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit), Waitomo glow worm caves, and Waiheke Island. Waiheke Island is just off the coast from Auckland and is home to dozens of vineyards; a truly idyllic spot, home to native NZ wildlife and good wine.

We moved onto Christchurch after two weeks. Christchurch had a distinctively different feel; a much smaller city, still recovering from the large earthquake that occurred in 2011. We were shocked to see parts of the city still in ruins, including prominent buildings such as the cathedral. Despite the outward appearance of the city, the people were very welcoming and friendly. One local took us for a day out around the local tourist spots and told us some of the Maori history of the area. We also enjoyed walking in the bush, going to the beach at New Brighton and going on nights out in the centre (during which we befriended the loveliest bouncer I’ve had the pleasure of coming across).

The Christchurch office served a far smaller population but still took part in outreach services and worked closely with other organisations to improve public health and wellbeing. Once a week we went on outreach with the Salvation Army. Sitting in a camper van on Manchester Road (the main road from which street workers operated), we made teas/coffees and food, and gave out safe sex supplies. Sadly, we witnessed several sex workers being subjected to harassment, demonstrating the stigma and violence imposed on sex workers. Despite this, the sex workers, NZPC staff and Salvation Army staff remained resolute, banding together to protect and help each other. To further our understanding of sex work, we were also able to visit a brothel to meet some of the workers and speak to the brothel operator. Additionally, we met Gillian Abel, a top academic whose work studies the impact of decriminalisation of sex work on sex workers’ rights and wellbeing.

Lastly, we moved onto Wellington. Wellington is the capital of NZ and is home to the head office of the NZPC. Wellington is a student city filled with people from all walks of life. The heart of the city is Cuba Street; home to restaurants, bars and shops, as well as the rainbow crossing and ‘Carmen’, the green light signal on traffic lights. ‘Carmen’ represents Carmen Rupe, a trans woman and LGBT activist who ran for mayor of Wellington in 1977. We were able to work closely with the head of the NZPC, Dame Catherine Healy. She is a prominent figure within promotion of sex workers’ rights and health; she has advised on reform/legislation regarding sex work, co-edited books on sex work and successfully debated the decriminalisation of sex work at the Oxford Union.

We were able to gain insight into the changes that have occurred over the past three decades and the work that is still ongoing today.

The NZPC were wonderful hosts who included us in every aspect of life within the organisation. Staff made every effort to welcome us; we went to a dinner party in Christchurch, a kiwi BBQ in Wellington and on our last day the staff gave us a farewell tea party with cake and card included. Meeting the workers and talking to them about their lives was a privilege and provided invaluable insight into their experiences and the challenges they face.

I have no doubt that my time with the NZPC will have a lasting and positive impact on my future practice. Working with the NZPC also enabled myself and my colleague to produce a booklet that aids students and healthcare professionals in communicating with sex workers, to overcome barriers and provide better healthcare.

Without the bursary provided by Barts Guild I could not have gone on this elective and thus taken advantage of such a wonderful opportunity. Many thanks to the Barts Guild and the NZPC for providing me with such an awe-inspiring, enriching experience. It is one I won’t forget.

REBECCA JOHN