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Region
FOUND 10
UNAIDS report on the global AIDS pandemic 2020 shows that women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa continue to be the most affected and accounted for 59% of all new HIV infections in the region in 2019, with 4500 adolescent girls and young women between 15 and 24 years old becoming infected with HIV every week. Young women accounted for 24% of new HIV infections in 2019, despite making up only 10% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa.
Female sex workers (FSWs) bear a disproportionately large burden of HIV infection worldwide. This article reviews available published data for HIV prevalence and incidence, condom use, and structural determinants among this group. To explore the potential effect of structural determinants on the course of epidemics, the authors use a deterministic transmission model to simulate potential HIV infections averted through structural changes in…
This Guidance Note has been developed to provide the UNAIDS Cosponsors and Secretariat with a coordinated human-rights-based approach to promoting universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support in the context of adult sex work. This publication proposes three main pillars to address HIV and sex work: 1) assure universal access to prevention, treatment and support, 2) build supportive environments, strengthen partnerships, and…
This report reflects the voices and opinions of 140 participants, including resource persons and sex workers, at the first Asia and the Pacific Regional Consultation on HIV and Sex Work, held on October 2010 in Pattaya, Thailand. It covers critical components of the HIV and sex work responses, and four key areas – namely, creating an enabling legal and policy environment, ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights, eliminating violence…
This section focuses on sex workers and their under representation in HIV prevention and treatment initiatives. It briefly looks at HIV/AIDS and sex work internationally, providing some statistics and comments about specific countries. It also examines related issues such as drug use and young and uninformed sex workers. The environment sex work often takes place in and the typical clients of sex workers are also discussed. This section…
This research article describes the results of a community-based cross-sectional study conducted among brothel-based sex workers of West Bengal, eastern India, to understand sex-trafficking, violence, negotiating skills, and HIV infection in them. The study highlights that the trafficked victims faced violence, including sexual violence, to a greater magnitude, and that sexual violence was associated with acquiring HIV.
This guide discusses the challenges involved in ensuring that violence is addressed in HIV programmes and gives a detailed understanding of violence in relation to sex work and challenges some common assumptions. The guide also provides examples from real programmes that illustrate ways in which HIV and AIDS projects can help reduce the incidence of violence against sex workers and provide support to those who experience violence. This guide is…
This Horizons report describes the findings of a study to estimate HIV and syphilis prevalence among female sex workers (FSW) and MSM in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay; examine knowledge, attitudes, and risk behaviors related to HIV and STIs; and describe the contextual and behavioral factors influencing HIV and STI transmission among MSM and FSWs in Ciudad del Este.
This article reports high levels of awareness about HIV prevention methods among women sex workers in southern China. It shows the women are using a range of contraceptive practices, and different methods to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI). This indicates that there will be high levels of willingness to use vaginal microbicides and female condoms when these become available. However, promoting the use of these new…
This report focuses on the challenges in the protection of those involved in sex work and discusses the key elements of various interventions. It explores the many issues involved in providing care and support for sex workers, preventing entry into sex work, and reducing risk and vulnerability through programmes at the individual, community and government levels. It addresses successful HIV/AIDS prevention and care strategies and outlines…