Young people of all ages have seen increased attention in HIV and AIDS discussions, yet there exists little to no policy guidance on providing rights-based universal access to HIV prevention, care, treatment and support for young people under the age of majority involved in the sex trade, especially those involved in what is legally defined as prostitution. The “Wards of the State” project begins an evaluation of current laws, policies and practices affecting young people in the sex trade’s access to rights-based services on a country to country basis. This poster presents the results of a preliminary survey of Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP) member organizations.
A qualitative policy scoping survey in English and French was distributed to NSWP member organizations around the world. The survey’s aim was gather information on policies affecting youth involvement in the sex trade in order to a) better understand the issues and b) to help guide the development of subsequent research on policy and its impacts on young people in the sex trade. The survey was structured to identify differences in written law and practices enforced. Responses were collated in order to identify the various pressures exerted by state power on young people in the sex trade.
