What is Sexperterna / Sexwork?
Sexperterna / Sexwork is Sexperterna’s unit with a focus on risk and harm reduction for sex workers.
Sexperterna / Sexwork aims to promote and enhance both the sexual and mental health of sex workers through a variety of interventions such as peer-led activities, networking with professionals working with the target group, and training aimed at persons who meet the target group in their professional roles.
Like Sexperterna’s other units, the underlying principle is that accurate information about sexual health and rights leads to well-informed assessments of health risks and protection. A cornerstone of the work is to meet individuals where they are and address individual needs, whether general questions about sexual health or lounger counseling sessions at our counseling center.
In line with the Swedish national strategy against HIV/AIDS and international HIV prevention efforts, Sexperterna / Sexwork includes men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people who sell sex, as well as cisgender and heterosexual individuals who sell sex to people of various genders and sexual identities. The initiative places particular emphasis on diverse intersections, such as sex workers who identify as queer, use drugs, and are not born and raised in Sweden.
What are key areas of Sexperterna / Sexwork?
Outreach program
1. Information and education
Sexperterna / Sexwork is an outreach program that includes information provision about risk prevention and harm reduction for sex workers. We also offer educational sessions and workshops on inclusion and providing respectful treatment to sex workers. The educational sessions primarily target healthcare professionals working in areas such as HIV/STI care, but we also tailor training and workshop concepts depending on a specific need.
Write to us at sexwork@stockholm.rfsl.se.
2. Condom distribution
Sexperterna / Sexwork focuses on condom distribution to peer organizations and individuals who are active sex workers. One of our partner organizations is Red Umbrella Sweden, which is a Swedish organization advocating for the rights of sex workers.
Write to us at sexwork@stockholm.rfsl.se.
3. Dialogue meetings and collaboration group
As a part of its outreach efforts, Sexperterna / Sexwork is committed to taking part in and organizing dialogue meetings that include sex workers and persons who work with them as a part of their profession (healthcare workers, social workers, government officials, researchers).
Sexperterna / Sexwork is a founder of the collaboration group Sex mot Ersättning (SME)focused on knowledge sharing between sex workers and those who work with this target group. We aim to empower the community to be active subjects, involved in decision-making, and avoid situations where someone else speaks in the name of sex workers.
Do your organization’s representatives wish to join our collaboration group?
If so, please write to us at sexwork@stockholm.rfsl.se.
Sexperterna / Sexworks panel under Stockholm Pride 2023: Sex Workers in Sweden – Perspective, Support, and Well-Being.
Peer program
Sexperterna / Sexwork strives, as in our other activities, to maintain a consistent peer perspective. An example of peer inclusion is the development of our informational materials with feedback from sex workers. The educational/workshop concepts are always created with a peer community where their knowledge, experience, and expertise, as well as sex workers’ expectations and needs, are given significant consideration.
As an example, Sexperterna / Sexwork actively collaborates with Queer Sex Workers (QSW), which is a members’ group at RFSL Stockholm and includes persons with direct experience of sex for compensation. Their contact email is qsw@stockholm.rfsl.se.
Peer persons contribute actively to our online knowledge database by writing articles and updates for our website and social media channels, debating everything from the legal aspect of sex work in Sweden to giving tips to their community on sexual health and risk prevention, or on anything that they deem important.
Sexperterna’s Sexual Health Conference 2023 in Stockholm with sex for compensation as the main theme, as well as about and by sex workers.
RFSL Stockholm Counselling Clinic / Sexwork Counseling Clinic
RFSL Stockholm’s counseling clinic has counselors specialized in sex work-related questions within the LGBTQI community.
The sexwork counseling clinic offers individual support to sex workers, as well as to those who work with the target group.
The counselors offer psychosocial support without judgment and have been taking part in specialized programs focused on the good reception of sex workers, such as the ones organized by the European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance (ESWA).
The counseling sessions have a person-centered approach where support is based on each individual’s needs, circumstances, and resources.
The conversations within the counseling clinic can be anonymous and they are free.
The sessions can also have an advisory character, providing information about other support services for sex workers and our collaboration partners within healthcare, social services, and other organizations.
Sexperterna / Testpoint
Sexperterna / Testpoint offers low-threshold testing for sex workers regardless of gender or sexual identity.
Sexperterna / Testpoint provides testing for HIV and syphilis at RFSL Stockholm’s premises, as well as information about sexual health.
As a sex worker, you can test yourself every Tuesday between 18:00 and 20:30 at RFSL Stockholm. Our address is Alsnögatan 7.
Do you want to get in touch with Sexperterna / Sexwork?
For inquiries about Sexperterna / Sexwork, get in touch with project manager Ines Anttila by sending an email to ines.anttila@stockholm.rfsl.se.
For questions about outreach and peer programs, please write to sexwork@stockholm.rfsl.se or 076 495 65 70.
For inquiries about the Sexwork counseling clinic, please write to mottagning@rfslstockholm.se or 073 520 51 94 / 076 394 84 05.
For questions about Sexperterna / Testpoint’s services, please write to testpoint@rfsl.se.
