Sex workers want voice in AIDS prevention<\/p>\n
Patricia Reaney, Reuters\/Bangkok<\/p>\n
Sex workers, tired of being blamed for spreading Acquired Immune
\nDeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), said on Thursday they can help fight
\nthe deadly disease but are being shunned by governments and
\nagencies.<\/p>\n
\"We are sex experts. We teach a lot of people, men and women
\nall over the world, how to have sex. If we teach people how to
\nhave sex, why don't we teach people how to have safe sex?\" Paulo
\nLongo said at an international AIDS meeting in the Thai capital.<\/p>\n
The retired Brazilian sex worker, now a psychologist, said
\nstigma and discrimination had prevented workers in the world's
\noldest profession from playing a bigger role in the fight to halt
\nthe spread of the sexually transmitted virus.<\/p>\n
\"They say we are not educated enough, that we are too
\ndemanding, that we use drugs all the time so we don't
\nconcentrate,\" said Longo.<\/p>\n
But given the chance, he and others like him say they could
\nmake a difference.<\/p>\n
\"There is evidence that involving sex workers helps a lot,\" he
\nsaid. \"We can help to minimize the impact of the epidemic.\"<\/p>\n
UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV\/AIDS, agrees
\nsex workers should be more involved and equal partners in the
\nconsultative process of how to fight the epidemic.<\/p>\n
\"UNAIDS is trying to ensure their voice is heard,\" said
\nAurorita Mendoza of UNAIDS. \"We are acting as facilitators for
\nsex workers with organizers of national programs.\"<\/p>\n
The 15th International AIDS Conference has highlighted the
\nimpact of AIDS on women and the importance of condoms in
\npreventing the spread of the virus.<\/p>\n
For some women, their only risk factor was being a faithful
\nwife. In the worst affected countries in Africa and Asia, many
\nwomen cannot insist that their husband use a condom.<\/p>\n
But Carol Jenkins, a medical anthropologist based in Thailand
\nand an adviser on HIV\/AIDS, said studies showed that protecting
\nsex workers from HIV protects the whole society.<\/p>\n
\"You have a constituency out there that is very affected by a
\nserious epidemic that is going to ruin your economy. Why aren't
\nyou listening to this constituency?\" she said.<\/p>\n
Janelle Fawkes, president of the Scarlet Alliance, an
\nassociation of sex workers in Australia, said governments were
\nscared to be connected to sex worker programs.<\/p>\n
\"Sex workers are the professionals in promoting safe sex in
\ntheir workplace,\" said Fawkes, who demonstrated techniques she
\nuses to convince clients to have safe sex.<\/p>\n
\"What has been successful is when sex workers get together
\nthemselves and are empowered to pass on messages and share skills
\nand strategies to get clients to use condoms and make it part of
\nthe service in a way that is exciting.\"<\/p>\n
Sex workers also argue that the 100 percent condom policy
\ndoesn't work because it increases the stigma and violence against
\nthem and introduces police and brothel owners as regulators of
\ncondom use.<\/p>\n
They are not against using condoms, but say mandating it and
\nregistering sex workers and forcing them to have health tests
\nviolates their right to privacy and free choice.<\/p>\n
\"In Australia, where sex workers are self-regulating their own
\nsexual health, they have lower rates of sexually transmitted
\ninfections than the general community,\" said Fawkes.<\/p>\n
\"That's the way we should be going, that's the way that has
\nbeen successful.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sex-workers-want-voice-in-aids-prevention-1447893297",
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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