Sex workers and activists establish AIDS network<\/p>\n
By T. Sima Gunawan<\/p>\n
CHIANG MAI (JP): Sex workers and support groups in the Asia
\nPacific region have formed a network to respond to the widespread
\nallegations that prostitutes are spreading the Acquired Immuno
\nDeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), it was announced yesterday.<\/p>\n
The decision to set up the network was made in a satellite
\nsymposium involving sex workers and activists from 20 countries,
\nincluding Indonesia, during the third International Conference on
\nAIDS in Asia and the Pacific yesterday.<\/p>\n
A network spokeswoman said the forum's chief objective is to
\npromote the rights of the region's sex workers who have come
\nunder strong pressure because of the AIDS allegations.<\/p>\n
Different languages and different cultures are no barriers
\nbecause sex workers have a common ground to work together in
\npromoting their rights, Chantawipa Apisuk, a director of a non-
\ngovernmental organization called Empower, told a press
\nconference.<\/p>\n
Other sex workers' support organizations involved include
\nIkhlas of Malaysia, Panther of Australia, and Prostitutes
\nCollective of Victoria, Australia, and New Zealand.<\/p>\n
\"The issues of HIV and AIDS cannot be treated separately. It
\nmust be integrated into programs which promote fair and safe
\nliving and working conditions for sex workers,\" Kartini Salmah
\nfrom Ikhlas said.<\/p>\n
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), causes AIDS.<\/p>\n
Presenting the guidelines for the creation of the network, she
\nsaid the programs should recognize and support the roles sex
\nworkers play in the prevention of the disease, and put an end to
\nthe false allegations that sex workers spread AIDS, she said.<\/p>\n
The network calls on people to accept that sex work is a
\ncommunity issue and that everybody involved, including clients,
\nbrothel owners, agents, police and social workers need to be
\ninvolved in HIV\/AIDS prevention and care.<\/p>\n
It also urged governments to stop punishing sex workers and
\ninstead, start promoting and supporting their initiatives for
\ntaking control of their own lives.<\/p>\n
Ethics<\/p>\n
According to the guidelines, in respect to sex workers'
\nrights, all research and clinical trials involving sex workers
\nshould be conducted ethically, in collaboration with them and
\nwith the informed consents of the participants. They should be
\nconducted in safe conditions with appropriate compensation, and
\nmust ultimately lead to sex worker empowerment.<\/p>\n
The network calls on the media to present sex workers as equal
\nmembers of society with equal rights, respect their privacy and
\nstop representing them as criminals or victims.<\/p>\n
Campaigns on Anti-AIDS policies should target people's
\nbehavior instead of singling out prostitutes as the main cause,
\nanother activist from Malaysia pointed out.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in a conference session, Bernadette N. Setiadi from
\nthe Institute of Applied Psychology of University of Indonesia,
\npresented a study on sexual negotiations, empowerment of
\ncommercial sex workers and the female condom.<\/p>\n
The study involved 36 sex workers.<\/p>\n
The majority of sex workers were reluctant to negotiate the
\nuse of condoms with their partners, not only because they did not
\nknow how to protect themselves and did not now how to communicate
\nthe issues to the customers, but also because they were afraid of
\nthe negative reactions of customers, which indicated their
\nfeeling of powerlessness, according to the study.<\/p>\n
Education and the introduction of female condoms could help,
\nbut this would not be much use without men's increasing
\nawareness, as the study shows that, in general, men have higher
\nrisks of being infected with HIV\/AIDS because extra marital and
\npremarital sex for men are tolerated.<\/p>\n
\"This means that, without increasing men's awareness of their
\nrisk of contracting HIV, intervention targeted toward women will
\nonly put a heavier burden on the women, while the likelihood of
\nsuccess remains low,\" Setiadi said.<\/p>\n
India\/Brazil -- Page 7<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sex-workers-and-activists-establish-aids-network-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }