Digital health interventions as a catalyst for change: A narrative review of the roles of digital health in enhancing...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Digital Health
• Social Science

Background:

• Digital health interventions (DHIs) show promise for sex workers' mental health, harm reduction, and healthcare access.
• Social and structural barriers like criminalization and stigma exacerbate health issues for sex workers.
• DHIs can potentially address both health and systemic challenges simultaneously.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review DHIs' role in enhancing sex worker well-being.
• To assess DHIs' impact on reducing public health and social challenges.
• To identify key opportunities and barriers for DHIs in this population.

Main Methods:

• A narrative review of peer-reviewed and gray literature from 2010-2023.
• Searches conducted across major databases (PubMed, Scopus, etc.) using keywords like "digital health" and "sex workers."
• Thematic analysis of charted data to identify trends, opportunities, and gaps.

Main Results:

• DHIs reduce systemic barriers, offering confidential mental health support and effective harm reduction through online networks.
• Tailored DHIs improve access to sexual and reproductive health services, mitigating risks linked to criminalization.
• Persistent gaps exist due to limited digital literacy, infrastructure, and lack of sex worker-centered policies.

Conclusions:

• DHIs are vital for addressing health and social disparities among sex workers.
• Integrated approaches and policy development are needed to maximize DHI impact.
• Future efforts must focus on overcoming barriers, ensuring inclusivity, and sustainability through community input and policy changes.