Editing Harm reduction (section)

==Sex==

===Safer sex programmes===
Many schools now provide [[safer sex]] education to teen and pre-teen students, who may engage in sexual activity. Since some adolescents are going to have sex, a harm-reductionist approach supports a sexual education which emphasizes the use of protective devices like [[condoms]] and [[dental dam]]s to protect against unwanted pregnancy and the transmission of [[sexually transmitted infections|STIs]]. This runs contrary to [[sexual abstinence|abstinence]]-only sex education, which teaches that educating children about sex can encourage them to engage in it.

These programmes have been found to decrease risky sexual behaviour and prevent [[sexually transmitted infection]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Johnson |first1=BT |last2=Scott-Sheldon, LA |last3=Huedo-Medina, TB |last4=Carey, MP |date=January 2011 |title=Interventions to reduce sexual risk for human immunodeficiency virus in adolescents: a meta-analysis of trials, 1985–2008 |journal=Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine |volume=165 |issue=1 |pages=77–84 |doi=10.1001/archpediatrics.2010.251 |pmc=4361805 |pmid=21199984}}</ref> They also reduce rates of unwanted pregnancies.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Oringanje |first1=Chioma |last2=Meremikwu |first2=Martin M |last3=Eko |first3=Hokehe |last4=Esu |first4=Ekpereonne |last5=Meremikwu |first5=Anne |last6=Ehiri |first6=John E |date=3 February 2016 |title=Interventions for preventing unintended pregnancies among adolescents |journal=Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |volume=2016 |issue=2 |pages=CD005215 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD005215.pub3 |pmc=8730506 |pmid=26839116}}</ref> [[Abstinence-only sex education|Abstinence-only]] programmes do not appear to affect HIV risks in developed countries with no evidence available for other areas.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Underhill |first1=Kristen |last2=Operario |first2=Don |last3=Montgomery |first3=Paul |date=17 October 2007 |title=Abstinence-only programs for HIV infection prevention in high-income countries |journal=Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |issue=4 |pages=CD005421 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD005421.pub2 |pmid=17943855}}</ref>

===Legalized prostitution===
{{Main|Legality of prostitution}}

Since 1999, some countries have legalized prostitution, such as [[Prostitution in Germany|Germany]] (2002) and [[Prostitution in New Zealand|New Zealand]] (2003). However, in most countries the practice is prohibited. Gathering accurate statistics on prostitution and human trafficking is extremely difficult. This has resulted in proponents of legalization claiming that it reduces organized crime rates while opponents claim exactly the converse. The [[Prostitution in the Netherlands|Dutch prostitution policy]], which is one of the most liberal in the world, has gone back and forth on the issue several times. In the period leading up to 2015 up to a third of officially sanctioned work places had been closed down again after reports of human trafficking. Prostitutes themselves are generally opposed to what they see as "theft of their livelihood".<ref>{{Cite web |last=AlwaysUnite |date=11 April 2015 |title=Paar honderd prostituees protesteren tegen sluiting raambordelen |url=http://www.parool.nl/parool/nl/4024/AMSTERDAM-CENTRUM/article/detail/3947731/2015/04/09/Prostituees-protesteren-tegen-sluiting-ramen.dhtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331200245/http://www.parool.nl/parool/nl/4024/AMSTERDAM-CENTRUM/article/detail/3947731/2015/04/09/Prostituees-protesteren-tegen-sluiting-ramen.dhtml |archive-date=31 March 2016 |access-date=10 April 2015 |website=National Daily}}</ref>

Legal prostitution means prostitutes can contact police in instances of abuse or violence without fear of arrest or prosecution because of what they are doing being illegal. A legal and regulated system can also provide licensed brothels as opposed to prostitutes working on the streets, in which the owners or staff of the premises can call the police in instances of violence against sex workers without fear of workers or the business facing criminal charges or being shut down. Legal and regulated prostitution can require prostitutes to undergo regular health checks for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) by law. Sex workers in Nevada for instance have to get monthly tests for syphilis and HIV and weekly tests for gonorrhea and chlamydia.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fuchs |first=Erin |date=13 November 2013 |title=7 Reasons Why America Should Legalize Prostitution |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/why-america-should-legalize-prostitution-2013-11?op=1&r=US&IR=T |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202003852/https://www.businessinsider.com/why-america-should-legalize-prostitution-2013-11?op=1&r=US&IR=T |archive-date=2 December 2021 |access-date=7 March 2022 |work=Business Insider}}</ref>

===Sex-work and HIV===

Despite the depth of knowledge of HIV/AIDS, rapid transmission has occurred globally in sex workers.<ref name="pmid11251723" /> The relationship between these two variables greatly increases the risk of transmission among these populations, and also to anyone associated with them, such as their sexual partners, their children, and eventually the population at large.<ref name="pmid11251723" />

Many street-level harm-reduction strategies have succeeded in reducing HIV transmission in [[injecting drug user]]s and sex-workers.<ref name="pmid16360791" /> HIV education, HIV testing, condom use, and safer-sex negotiation greatly decreases the risk to the disease.<ref name="pmid16360791" /><ref>{{Cite report|last=Phasuk |first=Sunai |year=2004 |title=Thailand, not enough graves: the war on drugs, HIV/AIDS, and violations of human rights |url=https://www.hrw.org/report/2004/07/07/not-enough-graves/war-drugs-hiv/aids-and-violations-human-rights |url-status=live |publisher=Human Rights Watch |oclc=56024188 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204203850/https://www.hrw.org/report/2004/07/07/not-enough-graves/war-drugs-hiv/aids-and-violations-human-rights |archive-date=4 December 2023 |access-date=8 July 2022}}</ref> Peer education as a harm reduction strategy has especially reduced the risk of HIV infection, such as in Chad, where this method was the most cost-effective per infection prevented.<ref name="pmid16360791" />

Decriminalisation as a harm-reduction strategy gives the ability to treat substance use disorder solely as a public health issue rather than a criminal activity. This enables other harm-reduction strategies to be employed, which results in a lower incidence of HIV infection.<ref name="pmid163607913">{{Cite journal |last=Rekart ML |date=December 2005 |title=Sex-work harm reduction |journal=Lancet |volume=366 |issue=9503 |pages=2123–2134 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67732-X |pmid=16360791 |s2cid=11448309}}</ref>

One of the first harm reduction models was called the "Mersey Harm Reduction Model" in 1980s Liverpool, and the success of utilizing outreach workers, distribution of education, and providing clean equipment to drug users was shown in the fact that an HIV epidemic did not happen in Mersey.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=O’Hare |first=Pat |date=March 2007 |title=Merseyside, the first harm reduction conferences, and the early history of harm reduction |journal=International Journal of Drug Policy |volume=18 |issue=2 |pages=141–144 |doi=10.1016/j.drugpo.2007.01.003 |pmid=17689357}}</ref>

The AIDS epidemic, which began in the 80s and peaked in 1995, further complicated the politicization of drug users and drug use in the US. The implementation of harm reduction faced much resistance within the US due to the demonization of particular drugs associated with stigmatized groups, such as sex workers and drug-injecting users.<ref>{{Cite report |title=HIV/AIDS – 2011 |last=Indian Social Institute |year=2011 |publisher=Human Rights Documents Online |doi=10.1163/2210-7975_hrd-0510-0080}}</ref>