Sex Work and HIV|
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The objectives of this study are to: i. describe the diversity of laws that affect HIV responses among sex workers in the Asia Pacific region; ii. assess the impact of laws, legal policies and law enforcement practices on HIV responses for sex workers; and iii. provide recommendations for actions required to create enabling legal and policy environments for HIV responses among sex workers. The report is intended to provide an evidence-base for: policy makers working in government, regional and multilateral organizations; parliamentarians; members of the judiciary; civil society organizations; donor agencies; and sex workers and their organisations engaged in advocacy to improve the legal and policy enabling environment for HIV responses. |
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To increase the momentum and effectiveness of the HIV response in Asia and the Pacific, UNFPA, UNAIDS and the Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers (APNSW) joined hands to organize, in collaboration with governments, UNAIDS cosponsors, national and local sex worker organizations, and civil society organizations, the first Asia and the Pacific Regional Consultation on HIV and Sex Work in October 2010 in Pattaya, Thailand. This Regional Consultation, which was the result of an extensive and participatory process spanning over a year, brought together some 140 participants from eight countries in the region as well as selected national, regional and global resource persons that have experience or influence in the area of HIV and sex work. These resource persons included representatives from regional community networks, sex worker organizations, NGOs, researchers, government organizations, and United Nations (UN) agencies. Country teams comprising representatives from national AIDS authorities, Ministries of Health, Ministries of Justice or police, sex worker communities and the UN system participated from Cambodia, China, Fiji, Indonesia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, and Thailand. Download this publication |
 | Cambodia is internationally recognized for having successfully reduced its HIV prevalence among the general population from about 3% in 1997 to 0.7% in 2009. Sex work played a significant role in the spread of the HIV epidemic during the nineties. Since 1999, HIV prevalence has declined among direct and indirect sex workers, although levels remain high. The 100% condom use promotion strategy has been credited for having played a major role in the decline of HIV. Download this publication |
 | Although the prevalence of HIV in the general population is low (0.2%) and is mainly concentrated among injecting drug users (IDUs) in Jakarta, West Java and Bali, the epidemic has now spread to other key populations at higher risk such as non‐injecting partners of IDUs, sex workers and their clients. Download this publication |
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Until recently, Pakistan was considered as a ‘low HIV prevalence, high risk country’ in relation to HIV. The country is now classified as having a concentrated epidemic, with an HIV prevalence of more than 5% among injecting drug users (IDUs) in at least eight major cities in three of the four provinces and among Hijras sex workers in at least one city. At the end of 2009, it was estimated that were 97,400 people living with HIV and AIDS, with 2,917 patients registered across the country, among whom 1,320 are on antiretroviral drug therapy. The national adult HIV prevalence among the general population remains under 0.1%. Download this publication |
 | In China, HIV prevalence among the general population is 0.06%, with the number of infections continuing to increase. At the end of 2009, an estimated 740,000 adults and children were living with HIV (range 560,000‐920,000) and another 105,000 had AIDS. Although infections have been reported in all 31 provinces, it is estimated that 80% of people living with HIV reside in rural areas. The number of new HIV cases was estimated at 48,000 in 2009. Overall, China is still experiencing a low‐prevalence, yet growing epidemic, with some key regions experiencing high‐prevalence epidemics. Download this publication |
 | Beginning in the late 1980s, the HIV epidemic increased rapidly in Thailand, particularly in the upper Northern region. In 1990‐91, soon after it was observed that the HIV epidemic was spreading among injecting drug users and sex workers, the government acted decisively, launching a nationwide campaign to reduce HIV transmission. Thailand became the first country in Asia to launch the 100% Condom Use Programme (CUP) – a collaborative effort among local authorities, public health officers, sex establishment owners, and sex workers – a target was set to ensure that clients could not purchase sexual services without condom use. Download this publication |
 | Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has a population of 50 million people. The estimated nation‐wide population of sex workers in 2007 was between 40,000 and 80,000 and the population of their clients between 840,000 and 1,400,000 (Table 1). One predominantly qualitative study of female sex workers (FSWs) in Yangon estimated that there were around 100 brothels throughout the city and in various townships (as of 2003). Download this publication |
