Project participants consist of individuals who are forced through external factors to sell their bodies, as their skills are not seen marketable, or are underutilized by traditional markets. Faced with poverty, homelessness and malnutrition, those individuals in survival sex also battle social stigma as a result of their involvement in sex work. Historically, those involved in sex work and survival sex have been and treated as "vectors of disease" regardless of any such disclosure.

This project focuses on the creation of empowerment strategies and direct support to individuals with HCV. Based on the known general benefits of nutrition, it is evident that nutritional health will help persons with Hepatitis C infection feel stronger and improve their quality and enjoyment of life. The creation of this cookbook was appropriately chosen to allow us to focus on health enhancement strategy for individuals living with HCV.

The purpose of this cookbook is twofold. Firstly to enhance the wellness of individuals living with Hepatitis C and those who are involved in survival sex and drug use. This, as the primary goal of the project, ensures that those most impacted by Hepatitis C, survival sex work and injection drug use benefit most and directly from this project. Secondly to expand the degree of knowledge and sensitivity of community members pertaining to issues of Hepatitis C, survival sex and drug use. This is the element of the project that shares knowledge and experiences with the larger community. Survival sex workers living with Hepatitis C were involved in recipe planning, food preparation, cooking, sharing lived experiences and their knowledge around a kitchen table.

This cookbook, along with presentations to local groups, will provide opportunities for project participants to share what they have learned through this project and participate in existing dialogue surrounding Hepatitis C. Also, and most importantly, this cookbook is a tool to reduce the social stigma experienced not only by survival sex workers, but also by those living with Hepatitis C in our communities.

To preview this cookbook log on to the website at www.pace-society.ca (select SERVICES then drop click Health Services). Free copies of the cookbook will be distributed upon filling out the requisition form on our website. We offer cookbook presentations and provide hepatitis C educational workshops to service providers and their clients. For inquiries please contact Effie Savoy at 604-872-7651 or e-mail at pace-admin@telus.net

To see some sample pages from the cookbook click here and for the cover page here.