Female Sex Workers
Gaps in Research
- 1.
- Health care provider training is needed to increase confidentiality and decrease discrimination against sex workers seeking health services.
- 2.
- Interventions are needed to provide sex workers with greater control and access over money and resources, which can have a positive impact on HIV- related risk reduction.
- 3.
- Changing laws and policies, ending police violence, workshops and other mechanisms are needed to protect sex workers from violence and rape.
- 4.
- HIV and AIDS programmes are disrupted during raids and other policing measures.
1. Health care provider training is needed to increase confidentiality and decrease discrimination against sex workers seeking health services. Studies found that significant proportions of female and transgender sex workers did not visit health facilities because of lack of confidentiality, discrimination, and lack of counseling when accessing HIV testing.
Gap noted, for example, in Nepal (Ghimire, 2008); India (Saha et al., 2008a); Vietnam (Ngo et al., 2007) and Botswana, Namibia and South Africa (Arnott and Crago, 2009).
Ghimire, L. 2008. “Female Sex Workers in Nepal: Health Services Utilisation for Sexually Transmitted Infections Including HIV.” Abstract WEPE0783. XVII International AIDS Conference. Mexico City, Mexico. August 3-8.
2. Interventions are needed to provide sex workers with greater control and access over money and resources, which can have a positive impact on HIV- related risk reduction. Studies found that if sex workers had access to resources under their control, women were more likely to negotiate condom use.
Gap noted, for example, in Dominican Republic (Ashburn et al., 2007); Nigeria (Oyefara, 2007); South Africa, Namibia and Botswana (Arnott and Crago, 2009).
Ashburn, K., D. Kerrigan and M. Sweat. 2007. “Micro-Credit, Women’s Groups, Control of Own Money: HIV-Related Negotiation among Partnered Dominican Women.” AIDS Behavior 12 (3): 396-403.
3. Changing laws and policies, ending police violence, workshops and other mechanisms are needed to protect sex workers from violence and rape. Studies found sex workers experienced high rates of violence and rape from clients and police, and that fear of arrest was a barrier to accessing health services.
Gap noted, for example, in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa (Arnott and Crago, 2009); South Africa (Gould and Fick, 2008); Serbia (Simic and Rhodes, 2009); Thailand (Ratinthorn et al., 2009); India (Gurnani et al., 2008); Nigeria (Ezire et al., 2008); Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (Crago et al., 2008); Kenya (Okal et al., 2008, Federation of Women Lawyers FIDA Kenya, 2008); China (Choi et al., 2008); and in Russia (Aral et al., 2003 cited in Stachowiak and Peryshkina, 2007).
Arnott, J. and A.-L. Crago. 2009. Rights Not Rescue: A Report on Female, Male and Trans Sex Workers’ Human Rights in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. NY: Open Society Institute. www.soros.org
4. HIV and AIDS programmes are disrupted during raids and other policing mechanisms. Studies found that HIV prevention efforts are disrupted during raids and that carrying condoms is used to prosecute sex workers.
Gap noted in a meta-analysis of articles and reports of sex workers from 10 countries on four continents (Ditmore, 2008); and China (Lau et al., 2007a).
Ditmore, M. 2008. “Raids and Vulnerabiiltiy to HIV: A Meta-Analysis of Reports of Raids Affecting Sex Workers.” Abstract MOPE1002. XVII International AIDS Conference. Mexico City, Mexico. August 3-8.