An international group of sex workers attended the recently-concluded 18th International Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm in Warsaw. Below is the group’s statement.
STATEMENT FROM SEX WORKER HEALTH AND RIGHTS ADVOCATES
The statement is based on materials developed by Stella, a Canadian sex worker
rights organization, for the 2006 International Conference on HIV/AIDS. A
working group of sex workers and sex worker rights advocates committed to
increasing the participation of sex workers and their organizations at the
International Conference on Reduction of Drug Related Harm adapted Stella’s
statement in consultation with our communities and networks. We are pleased to
present the following key messages about sex workers rights and harm reduction
issues to delegates and participants in Warsaw:n Human rights for sex workers: Recognizing and ensuring the protection
of sex workers’ human rights is essential to promoting health and safety. By
ensuring that sex workers have full enjoyment of their human rights, the
discrimination and abuse that sex workers are often subject to can be reduced
or eliminated and access to health and social services can be improved.n Sex workers are part of the solution: Sex worker leadership and
empowerment are essential in fighting HIV and discrimination. Sex workers are
their own best resource—they should be at the forefront of developing and
implementing the programs and policies that impact their lives. It is only by
empowering sex workers to speak for themselves and developing sex worker
leadership that stigma and rights violations will be stopped.n Sex work is work, not “harm”: Sex work (itself) is not inherently
harmful. The reasons why people engage in sex work vary widely, as do the
reasons why people chose a variety of other jobs. Many sex worker health and
rights organizations incorporate a harm reduction framework when they address
the needs of sex workers who use drugs. Other sex worker health and rights
organizations have a less comfortable relationship with a harm reduction
because “harm” is sometimes defined as sex work or sex workers (themselves).
For sex worker rights advocates, the “harm” associated with sex work results
from repressive environments in which sex work is not recognized as work and
sex workers lack basic human rights and access to appropriate health
services.n Workers’ rights for sex workers: Sex work should be recognized as
work in order to ensure safe and appropriate working conditions. The lack of
workers’ rights leaves sex workers vulnerable to abuse and poor working
conditions.In addition, following consultation during the 18th International Conference
on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm, we would like to affirm that sex
workers are key players in promoting human rights and harm reduction, and are
pleased to do so in conjunction with allies who share our philosophies and
commitment to justice.“Nothing about us, without us.”
Previously: All I wanna do is bicycle; Shame’s diminishing returns
See also: Sex Workers Outreach Project
Sex Workers are vulnerable for HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh
Mohammad Khairul Alam
Executive Director
“Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation”
24/3 M. C. Roy Lane
Dhaka-1211, Bangladesh
Tel: 88028628908,
rainbowngo@gmail.com
The over all HIV/AIDS epidemics situation is low in Bangladesh. But it is increasing very high in some heterogeneous group who are actually vulnerable of HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS spread out very quickly in all over the population. There are many ways in Bangladesh to HIV/AIDS increasing issue.
The cause of poverty, gender discrimination, low prevalence of health facility, lack of reproductively knowledge, illiteracy and high risky behavior may be called epidemic in future of Bangladesh. The atmosphere, which is needed to spread HIV as epidemic of HIV/AIDS, those are present in Bangladesh.
It seems that there are three issues that are appearing to play a crucial position in HIV transmission in Bangladesh: female sex work substance use, Intravenous drug use, professional blood donor and mobility. Female sex workers and their clients have been a major factor in the heterosexual transmission of HIV. Separate but unstable epidemics have been seen in some IDU populations in Dhaka city. And mobile populations, particularly at national borders are at higher risk of HIV acquisition due to the fact of being away from home, community and the anonymity and loneliness of traveling. The following three segments focus on the monitoring of the HIV epidemic in these vulnerable populations.
Commercial/Professional sex workers operate in all over the country. But it is important to know how large the sex-worker population may be to adequately interpret surveillance results. It is hypothetical that in some region, rapid increases in the absolute numbers of sex workers have resulted from significant political, social or economic changes. The nature of sex work and the profile of sex workers vary enormously within and between countries. There are most female sex workers, and those that work full-time, part-time or seasonally. Sex workers may operate in variety of settings such as brothels, riverbanks, bars, parks, under contraction buildings, street corners, hotels, etc. Sex work does not consider in Bangladesh, expect 14 reported brothels. Some HIV/AIDS or social workers suspected that brothel sex worker in Bangladesh is limited, near about 35,000 to 45,000, but other category sex workers is no countable, it is suspected more then 1,00,000. Dhaka city, for example, has approximately 5,000-15,000 female sex workers–an estimate (Source: Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation). In most Cities, however, validated estimates of the numbers of sex workers are almost non-existent.
All estimates require regular updating and validation but these two approaches are worthy of repetition in other settings. Neither method can work without the trust and involvement of commercial sex workers themselves.
Frequency of exposure to HIV infection through sexual intercourse is the key factor for transmission of HIV among sex workers. For example, there are many countries; a significant proportion of sex workers is infected with HIV. The rates might vary from less than 1 percent to 40 percent or higher in some settings.
Even where HIV infection has not yet increase extensively, STD infection is often very high among sex workers. For example, in one brothel area in Bangladesh, 95 percent of 466 sex workers tested positive to antibodies for genital herpes virus and 60 percent for syphilis, although HIV was not detected among any of them. With the sequence of the epidemic, HIV tends to increase where other STDs are present.
There are many aspects to the nexus of drug use and HIV infection, In most of Bangladesh, people who choose to use drugs (Smoking-drug, morphia, heroin, hashish, Medicare-drug some kinds of sleeping pill, cold syrup, injections etc) that are not all socially sanctioned are treated as entirely outside society, enemies even of the social structure. The factor of Injection/ intravenous Drug Users (IDUs), which is directly can influence of HIV/AIDS, STDs/STI. For the majority of injecting drug users (IDUs), it means that lip-service is paid to the principles supposedly learned through the course of the epidemic: in relation to IDUs and the risks of HIV transmission, issues such as human rights, peer education, community participation, and legal and social change are unachievable fictions.
Besides, better estimation of populations at risk (i.e., those currently injecting drugs, or sex partners of IDUs and populations coming to be at risk), and a better understanding of the dynamics of drug utilization and social association of drug use are all necessary for targeting interventions efficiently.
Populations in Bangladesh are moving across land and sea borders in increasing numbers. International trade supports this growth in population mobility, international border between India and Bangladesh, more than 500 trucks come daily. Also occurring in Bangladesh are high levels of maritime trade, and seamen on fishing vessels travel widely in the region, enabling the transmission of HIV to populations in areas where the virus was previously unfamiliar.
Crossing land or sea borders often requires overnight stays, leaving the individual with idle time and opportunities to visit drinking and gambling establishments and brothels. HIV surveillance data for female sex workers, male STD clinic patients and young males at two sea ports – Cittagong & Mongla –show a clustering of high prevalence sites.
Source: Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation