Women’s Health Project

The Women's Health Project was established in 1991, as part of the HIV/AIDS prevention strategy. The project, based in Baggot Street Hospital, provides an accessible drop-in service, open in the evenings and weekends. A full sexual health screening and counselling service is available including HIV and Hepatitis A, B and C testing, vaccinations, smears, counselling, contraception, pregnancy testing and advice, support, referral and education. Additional services include a methadone and needle exchange programme. All services, including drugs and condoms, are free.

The Women’s Health Project is a sexual health and support service for women working in prostitution. We provide sexual health screening, addiction services, outreach to streets and parlours, training and education workshops. Clinical services are based at 19 Haddington Road, Dublin 4 (beside Baggot St Hospital).

Translation services can be provided by phone or in person in several different languages.

Project Co-ordinator: Linda Latham
Women’s Health Project
Baggot Street Clinic
Tel : +353 1 6699515
E-mail : admin.whp@hse.ie

Options:

Clinical Services
Addiction Services
Outreach
Links and reports

Women's Health Project (WHP) Clinical Services

WHP Clinical Services
Baggot St Clinic
Tel : +353 1 6699515
Email: admin.whp@hse.ie

The clinical services are only available for women working in prostitution, both on the streets and in parlours. The clinic is a free, friendly and confidential service.

Drop-In Clinical Services (no appointment necessary)

Wednesdays 2pm to 5pm

Medical Services 2pm to 4pm

Thursdays 8.30pm – 10.30pm

Medical Services 8.30 to 10pm

Full STI Screening with initial results and treatment given while at clinic. Blood tests for HIV, Hepatitis and Syphilis are provided. Cervical screening with results in 6-8 weeks approx. Referral will be made to relevant hospital for further treatment if necessary.

Outreach workers provide information on sexual health/safer sex, condom use as well as needle exchange and safer drug use information. Hepatitis B vaccination is also provided.

Pre-test information given for clients having a HIV test. This provides a forum for an accurate information exchange and support for clients who have concerns.

Access to community welfare officer is available for services such as medical card and social welfare entitlements.

Translation services, either by phone or in person can be arranged for international women.

Addiction Services

Wednesdays (fortnightly) 2 to 4pm (No appointment necessary, just ring to check assessment date)

Freephone : 1800 201 187

Assessments for the Addiction service are held fortnightly at Baggot St Clinic, 19 Haddington Rd.

This is a low dose (40mls) Methadone program that operates 7 nights a week, dispensing from a specified location. As it a harm reduction program women can also access needle exchange and condoms when attending the service.

A Doctor attends the project on a fortnightly basis and assesses the client to see if the program is suitable. The addiction service operated by the Women's Health Project is a citywide service and does not require an address from a particular area. Drug using women who are homeless and working in prostitution can access the service.

Women attending the addiction service can also access full services including community welfare advice and outreach services.

Outreach Services

Outreach is an important part of W.H.P. services as outreach staff can be the first point of contact women have with the project.

Staff provide services to the women in their place of work both, on the streets and indoors, during the day and at night. The outreach staff can also provide advice and information on all aspects of sexual health promotion; safer sex and safer drug use, tips for working more safely and can act as a referral on to main stream services.

Outreach staff can provide training and facilitation of the following workshops to NGO’s and statutory agencies that have contact with women in prostitution.

Myths and issues in prostitution
Trafficking issues in prostitution
The Harm of prostitution
Routes in/out of prostitution
Sexuality
Safer drug use/ safer sex
HIV/Aids
Sexually Transmitted Infections/Hepatitis
Working in a safer environment

Workshops can be targeted to specific organizations requirements.

Liaison work with an Garda Siochana

Staff work with specific liaison garda from stations around Dublin. This facilitates inter communication between law enforcers and working women and a forum to raise concerns about women’s safety and the increasing incidents of violence and assaults that women experience.

This liaison has proved helpful in the reporting of crimes or incidents. Outreach encourages women who have been assaulted or raped to report these crimes to the Gardai.

Immigrant women who have been trafficked for sexual exploitation can seek advice from the Gardai and will be referred to appropriate services.

The WHP is a member of Ireland En Route, an interagency group concerned with women and children who have been trafficked for sexual exploitation.

The WHP is also a member of National Women’s Council of Ireland.

WHP Links