Times Of Swaziland: 70% sex workers living with HIV

70% sex workers living with HIV
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 WELCOME DLAMINI on 07/05/2012 00:00:00


MBABANE – About 70 per cent of the kingdom’s female sex workers are living
with HIV, latest studies reveal.
This is an increase of about two per cent compared to figures compiled over two
years ago.
Sex workers are classified as most at risk populations (MARPs) when it comes to
HIV infection.
According to the ‘March 2012 Swaziland Country Report on Monitoring the
Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS’, "69.7 percent of female sex workers
are living with HIV".
This finding, the report states, is consistent with a 2009 United Nations
General Assembly Special Session on HIV and AIDS (UNGASS) study where it was
found that 68 per cent of sex workers who were interviewed confessed to knowing
their HIV status to be positive.
Sex workers aged between 30 to 34 years have the highest HIV prevalence while
those aged 15-19 have the lowest, the study further discovered.
A figure of 88.2 per cent of interviewed sex workers aged 30-34 were found to be
HIV positive, while 40.9 per cent of those between 15 to 19 years are living
with the virus.
Also 72.7 per cent of those aged between 35 to 39 were found to be HIV positive,
while 81.8 per cent of those between 40-44 years are also positive and 50.5 per
cent of those in the 45-49 age bracket were also found to be living with the
virus.
The study, however, warns on statistics for those sex workers aged above 40
years: "Caution must be exercised in interpreting the results for those aged 40
and above because of the small sample size for that age group."
Despite the high HIV prevalence among the sex workers, the most encouraging
information is the high condom usage with their clients.
Almost 10 years ago, in 2001 to be exact, an HIV Behavioural Surveillance Survey
(BSS) found that the proportion of female sex workers reporting the use of
condoms with their clients was 90 per cent, with 74 per cent using it
consistently.
Some of the female sex workers revealed that they would agree to have sex
without a condom for a higher fee.
The latest 2012 report states that preliminary findings of 2011 BSS MARPs
indicate that 82.3 per cent of female sex workers reported to have used a condom
when last having sex with their regular client and 87.7 per cent reported to
have used a condom when last having sex with a new client.
"The findings, however, do not specify usage of a condom with the most recent
client. The high numbers of female sex workers reporting condom usage with both
regular and new client at last sex can be attributable to the strategy of condom
distribution at ‘hot spots’ thereby increasing the accessibility of
condoms," states the 2012 report.
In Swaziland, prostitution remains illegal but it is common knowledge that
female sex workers are in abundance especially along the Mbabane – Manzini
corridor.
In the capital city, they are seen mostly at a spot along the industrial site
while at Ezulwini they are openly visible outside bars and nightclubs. The same
applies at the populous Matsapha.
Swaziland remains the country with the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the
world.
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Comments
Mr Editor I am confused and I'm sure many Swazis feel the same way so I need
your clarification. In many instances this newspaper has been referring to
prostitutes as "sex workers" but as far as I'm aware so-called "sex work" is not
recognized as a category of employment in this country. This is because
prostitution is illegal as you have already mentioned. Could you kindly refer to
prostitutes and prostitution the normal way instead of confusing our children.
Bugwadla and tingwadla remain the same lakhaya. You people must be aware that
even school-going children read this newspaper and it is not proper to lead them
astray by glorifying things like prostitution and homosexuality. Please let us
return to morality and human dignity. Let us not copy what other countries are
doing.
May 7, 2012, 7:00 AM, Lobusika N Dlamini
Yes they deserve it bonabacangakutsi batawulala bangalitfoli bayahlanya
May 7, 2012, 7:00 AM, Bafana mkhota (bafanamkhonta@gmail.com)