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UNAIDS Reference Group on HIV and Human Rights Submission to the Global Commission on HIV & the Law

The Human Rights Reference Group challenges the Commission o go beyond existing statements [about decriminalisation] and to contribute to greater knowledge and action on how to break the impasse in human rights-based law reform, enforcement and access to justice related to HIV. It offers six recommendations of which this is the first. 1. The Commission should identify the full range of laws and law-enforcement practices that criminalize vulnerable groups. …A vast range of laws, regulations, bylaws, ordinances, and other legal instruments permit police and other authorities to harass, arrest and detain vulnerable groups, often arbitrarily, in a manner that impedes

Evaluation Of Nature And Impact Of Violence Exposure Among Registered Female Sex Workers

An article in Turkiye Klinikleri J Med Sci 2011;31(5):1167-78. Objective: We conducted a descriptive study to determine various forms of violence and their impacts on registered female sex workers in Turkey. Material and Methods: We surveyed 124 registered female sex workers of a mean age of 41.6 ± 9.1 years, at obligatory periodic examination in the Departments of Dermatology and Sexually Transmitted Diseases at Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Hospital. The researchers developed and validated a questionnaire, based on relevant literature, and administered it to participants via face to face surveys. The questionnaire contained questions about levels of psychological, physical, sexual, financial and public

Falling through the cracks: contraceptive needs of female sex workers in Cambodia and Laos

Article in Contraception, in Press. Condom is the only method promoted for dual protection among female sex workers in most Asian countries, which may be insufficient to prevent pregnancies given sex workers’ high frequency of sexual intercourse. Respondents numbered 592 in Cambodia and 1421 in Laos. In Cambodia, 28.2% had abortions in the past year despite reporting 99.0% condom use at last commercial sex. Abortion increased with the number of clients, inconsistent condom use, recent condom breakage and recent forced unprotected sex with clients. In Laos, 26.0% of all sex workers had ever aborted as had 89.4% of those who had

Prosecution dropped against UK sex worker for lack of evidenceR

Sheila Farmer, a sex worker who worked with other women from premises for safety had charges of brothel-keeping dismissed today in Croydon Crown Court. She worked with other women since being viciously raped and attacked whilst working alone. Ms Farmer left court with over 20 supporters delighted and relieved that she no longer faces a criminal conviction and possible prison sentence. Ms Farmer suffers from severe diabetes and a malignant brain tumour. Her doctor had provided evidence that an onerous and stressful trial would have exacerbated her condition. Sheila Farmer who is available for interview commented: “Whilst I’m

Piloting a Savings-Led Microfinance Intervention with Women Engaging

This paper describes a pilot study testing the feasibility of an innovative savings-led microfinance intervention in increasing the economic empowerment and reducing the sexual risk behavior of women engaging in sex work in Mongolia. Women’s economic vulnerability may increase their risk for HIV by compromising their ability to negotiate safer sex with partners and heightening the likelihood they will exchange sex for survival. Microfinance has been considered a potentially powerful structural HIV prevention strategy with women conducting sex work, as diversification of income sources may increase women’s capacity to negotiate safer transactional sex. With 50% of all reported female HIV

An integrated structural intervention to reduce vulnerability to HIV and sexually transmitted infections among female sex workers in Karnataka state, south India

Article in BMC Public Health 2011, 11:755. Background: Structural factors are known to affect individual risk and vulnerability to HIV. In the context of an HIV prevention programme for over 60,000 female sex workers in south India, we developed structural interventions involving policy makers, secondary stakeholders (police, government officials, lawyers, media) and primary stakeholders (FSWs themselves). The purpose of the interventions was to address context-specific factors (social inequity, violence and harassment, and stigma and discrimination) contributing to HIV vulnerability. We advocated with government authorities for HIV/AIDS as an economic, social and developmental issue, and solicited political leadership to embed HIV/AIDS issues

Continued Sexual Risk Behaviour in African American and Latino Male-to-Female Transgender Adolescents Living with HIV/AIDS: A Case Study

Article in AIDS Clinic Res S1:002. Purpose: This study examined the social and contextual factors associated with continued high risk sexual behaviors among male-to-female transgender (MTFTG) adolescents living with HIV/AIDS. The study is part of a larger qualitative study of 59 racial/ethnic minority adolescents living with HIV/AIDS. Methods: In-depth focused interviews were conducted with five MTFTG adolescents (16-24 years) living with HIV. Content analysis was conducted to identify themes related to continued sexual risk behaviors. Results: Four out of five of MTFTG adolescents reported inconsistent condom use since their HIV diagnosis. Transgender stigma contributed to financial vulnerability leading to the

A Sex Worker in Nigeria Speaks Against Violence

An article in the Nation by Leke Salaudeen explores police corruption and brutality. A Lagos sex worker, who simply identified herself as Helen, relived her experience with police. She said: “Most often, the police will come to our brothel in the night, march us into their waiting van. They will take us to either Third Mainland Bridge or the Bar Beach. They will beat and rape us. They sleep with us without protection. “Sometimes, they will search us and steal our money and then drop us and run away. If you refuse to cooperate with them, they will get rid

Use of AUDIT, and measures of drinking frequency and patterns to detect associations between alcohol and sexual behaviour in male sex workers in Kenya

Previous research has linked alcohol use with an increased number of sexual partners, inconsistent condom use and a raised incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). However, alcohol measures have been poorly standardised, with many ill-suited to eliciting, with adequate precision, the relationship between alcohol use and sexual risk behaviour. This study investigates which alcohol indicator – single-item measures of frequency and patterns of drinking ( > = 6 drinks on 1 occasion), or the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) – can detect associations between alcohol use and unsafe sexual behaviour among male sex workers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey in

Assessment of population-level effect of Avahan, an HIV-prevention initiative in India

Article in the Lancet, Early Online Publication, 11 October 2011. Background The aim of Avahan, the India AIDS Initiative, was to reduce HIV transmission in the general population through large-scale prevention interventions focused on high-risk groups. It was launched in 2003 in six states with a total population of 300 million and a high HIV burden. We assessed the population-level effect of the first phase of Avahan (2003—08). Methods Population prevalence was estimated by use of adjustment factors from the national HIV sentinel surveillance data obtained annually from antenatal clinics. A mixed-effects multilevel regression model was developed to estimate the association

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