**Acknowledgement**

The authors gratefully acknowledge the courage of the sex workers who participated in the research notwithstanding the stigma attached to sex work and drug use in Irish society.

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The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Advisory Committee on Drugs; appreciation is expressed to the Committee for their permission to use the data.

The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article: The National Advisory Committee on Drugs.
