Archives of Sexual Behavior - Call for Special Section Submissions on Research Advances and Evidence-Based Strategies to Foster Health Equity for Sex Workers (Guest Editors: Cecilia Benoit, Andrea Mellor, and Brett Koenig)
Archives of Sexual Behavior (Editor-in-Chief, Ken Zucker, Ph.D.) invites manuscripts for a Special Section focused on (1) contextual factors that hinder sex workers from reaching their potential and (2) evidence-based interventions that foster their health equity. According to the World Health Organization, health equity is realized “when everyone can attain their full potential for health and well-being.”
The bulk of scholarship in sex work remains focused on a limited number of health-related topics (e.g., sexually transmitted infections, substance use, inconsistent condom use, violence, exploitation) and center the experiences of cis women and the street-based sex workers. Conversely, studies that evaluate the broader social determinants of health and public health interventions are infrequent. There also remains a gap in research on the barriers to health equity across a full spectrum of health needs for diverse groups of sex workers, as well as interventions meant to mitigate these barriers.
The goal of this Special Section is to take a broad public health approach to sex work, highlight the diversity among sex workers about backgrounds, identities, and work practices, draw attention to the sociopolitical factors that impede sex workers’ health equity, and present educational and other related strategies to combat sex work stigma and foster social inclusion. Papers that shed light on innovative research and implementation strategies that promote sex workers’ equitable access to resources across the health determinants spectrum are also welcome. These include access to non-judgmental health services, secure housing, safe workplaces, affordable childcare, and social safety nets. We especially invite papers that center the voices of sex workers in the research process, as well as papers from disadvantaged regions of the globe.
The Special Section will include original papers (quantitative, qualitative, mixed-, and Indigenous methods), brief reports, and review articles. Please consult this guide for use of non-stigmatizing language.
All submitted manuscripts will undergo the journal’s regular peer review process. An initial screening will be conducted by the three Guest Editors, and manuscripts that closely fit the central themes of the Special Section will be sent out for masked peer review. An invitation to submit a full manuscript is not a guarantee of acceptance or publication.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Research Advances and Evidence-Based Strategies to Foster Health Equity for Sex Workers
Call for papers to appear in the Special Section of Archives of Sexual Behavior (Guest Editors: Cecilia Benoit, Andrea Mellor, and Brett Koenig)
Publication Timeline:
November 31, 2024 (abstracts must be submitted to receive preliminary feedback for manuscripts to be considered for review)
December 31, 2024 (potential authors notified whether their full paper would be considered for review)
March 1, 2025 submission deadline
May 31, 2025 first stage peer review decision letters
September 1, 2025 revisions due
December 1, 2025 final decisions
Note: Papers accepted for publication will go online first, prior to the publication of the Special Section print issue.
Prospective authors should submit a brief (1-2 page) pre-proposal (abstract) that details their contribution’s emphasis on research advances and evidence-based strategies to foster health equity for sex workers, including a brief outline of their research methodology and the implications of their work for policy and/or practice.
Pre-proposals and any inquiries regarding topic or scope for the special section can be sent to the Guest Editors: Cecilia Benoit (cbenoit@uvic.ca), Andrea Mellor (amellor@uvic.ca), and Brett Koenig (bkoenig@uvic.ca).
Submission references should comport with APA Style.