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Long term virological, immunological and mortality outcomes in a cohort of HIV-infected female sex workers treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy in Africa

Article in BMC Public Health 2011, 11:700. Background Concerns have been raised that marginalised populations may not achieve adequate compliance to antiretroviral therapy. Our objective was to describe the long-term virological, immunological and mortality outcomes of providing highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) with strong adherence support to HIV-infected female sex workers (FSWs) in Burkina Faso and contrast outcomes with those obtained in a cohort of regular HIV-infected women. Methods Prospective study of FSWs and non-FSWs initiated on HAART between August 2004 and October 2007. Patients were followed monthly for drug adherence (interview and pill count), and at 6-monthly intervals for

The “Can Do” Sex Worker Collective

Heavy-handed comments have been thrown around labeling Thailand as the “brothel of the world,” or “Disneyland for men.” Of course, there are no official figures as to the total number of sex workers in Thailand, but a moderate figure from Thai analysts puts the number at 15,000-22,000 women (with a very small portion consisting of men.) As such, Thailand has a very strong reputation for being a nation with a massive amount of prostitution and sex trafficking. In the northernmost city of Chiang Mai, there are many restaurants, venues, and bars that cater to the pleasures of both tourists and

“Maybe it will be better once this World Cup has passed” Research findings regarding the impact of the 2010 Soccer World Cup on Sex Work in South Africa

International sporting events are increasing in frequency and magnitude. It is estimated that the FIFA World Cup brought close to 400 000 visitors to South Africa in 2010. Little research has been conducted into the demand and supply of paid sex during big sporting events and where the topic has been explored, the focus tends to fall on speculation around human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation, rather than on adult, consensual sex work. This research project aimed to: • Assess if there is a change in the demand for or supply of paid sex during an international sporting

Protection against sexually transmitted diseases by granting sex workers in Thailand the choice of using the male or female condom: results from a randomized controlled trial

An article in AIDS 1998, 12:1851–1859. Background: The male condom is the most effective barrier method available for protection against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV infection. There is an urgent need to develop and evaluate other prevention methods, such as the female condom. This study estimated the additional protection against STDs offered to sex workers by giving them the option of using the female condom when clients refused to use a male condom. Methods: Sex establishments in four cities in Thailand were randomized into two study groups: one in which sex workers were instructed to use male condoms consistently

'Better pay 'drives' women to prostitution'

A news story in the Times of India by Anahita Mukherji which highlights our research on sex work’s position in the labour market in India. This story was published on Labour Day, or May Day, 2011. MUMBAI: Very rarely does a survey of prostitution take into account the economics of sex work, or view it in the context of the labour market. While a detailed study of the economics of commercial sex work in the US found its way into the 2009 bestseller Superfreakonomics, two economists from Pune University have studied the same angle in perhaps the first pan-India study

Majority of migrant sex workers ‘not forced or trafficked’.

This is the largest ever qualitative research into the experience of migrants selling sexual services in London, and key findings are: • The large majority of interviewed migrant workers in the UK sex industry are not forced nor trafficked. • Immigration status is by far the single most important factor restricting their ability to exercise their rights in their professional and private lives. • Working in the sex industry is often a way for migrants to avoid the unrewarding and sometimes exploitative conditions they meet in non-sexual jobs. • By working in the sex industry, many interviewees are able to

Better livelihood prospect drives poor Indian women to prostitution

An article by Subir Ghosh in Digital World published on the 1 May 2011. New Delhi, India. Four out of five female sex workers in India have joined the profession voluntarily; they were not forced or sold into it. Prostitution is just one among several livelihood options available to women from poor backgrounds, says a new survey. The ‘First pan-India survey of sex workers’, conducted by Pune University researchers Rohini Sahni and V Kalyan Shankar, found that 79.4 percent of sex workers (both those who entered the profession directly as well as those with prior experience in other fields) say

Effectiveness of interventions for the prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in female sex workers in resource poor setting: a systematic review

Nigeria. Professor advocates registration of #sexworkers http://t.co/AOCLjpxY Gridlock: Labor, migration, and human trafficking in Dubai. Interesting discussion on #sexwork and trafficking http://t.co/5nxxsltv Kenya. Study finds lack of a male guardian associated with female entry into #sexwork in an urban settlement http://t.co/j2dEfptk Identifying the HIV Transmission Bridge: Which Men Are Having Unsafe Sex with Female #Sexworkers & Their Own Wives ? http://t.co/AdXwO2mR Australia Major conference on #sexworker rights, HIV to hear from Della Bosca – Gay News Network http://t.co/9GS3BZHv

'70% sex workers opt for prostitution'

This news story was written by Aarefa Johari for the Hindustan Times on the 1 May 2011. The story is a write up of the launch of the ‘First pan-India survey of sex workers’, conducted by Pune University academicians Rohini Sahni and V Kalyan Shankar. Nearly 70% of female sex workers in the country have joined the profession voluntarily, and were not forced or sold. Also, prostitution is just one among several labour options available to women from poor backgrounds — a majority of them join the trade at a much older age compared to other informal markets such as

U.N. guidance note on HIV and sex work “reworked” by activists

Article by Seshu M, Hunter A, Reynaga E, Strack F, Mollet S, Morgan Thomas R, Overs C, Ditmore M, Allman D in the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network HIV/AIDS Policy and Law Review. The article describes how, in 2007, UNAIDS issued a guidance note on HIV and sex work, the tone and contents of which angered sex workers, activists and public health workers worldwide. In this article, based on presentations at the International AIDS Conference, M. Seshu et al describe the problems with the guidance note, discuss the reaction to its publication, and explain how a group of activists got together

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