adminSpeaking at a ZAPP stakeholders meeting to highlight sex work programmes being conducted by the organisation at a local hotel on Thursday, Ms Mtetwa said commercial sex workers were one of the most vulnerable groups and their clients accounted for 11 percent of new adult infections.
ZAPP runs clinics for sex workers in Harare and Bulawayo and projects at the country’s border towns and highways.
Ms Mtetwa called for the development of innovative strategies and programmes for sex workers to reduce the rate of HIV infections.
“Sex workers rely on sexual intercourse with different men to make money, which makes it difficult for them to negotiate for safe sex with their partners. Some of their clients refuse to use protection offering more money for their services, while some sex workers tend to have regular clients who are eventually treated like their husbands, thereby practising unsafe sex,” said Ms Mtetwa.
She said “sex workers have for a long time faced a lot of stigma and discrimination, which can make it difficult for them to seek treatment at public health institutions when they have contracted sexually related diseases. This, Ms Mtetwa said, forced them to stay at home and continue spreading diseases.
Ms Mtetwa said there was a need for more research work and programmes for sex workers in the country so that organisations could have an idea on how to assist sex workers.
“Sex work is an under-researched area because it is illegal in Zimbabwe. We do not know much about sex workers and as such we are not helping them much to reduce risk.
“We need more innovative strategies for this group at risk, focusing on their empowerment and inclusion in decision-making. While we do not ignore the importance of faithful partnering, we should acknowledge the existence of this group,” said Ms Mtetwa.
She said although multiple partnerships and high partner turnover were a characteristic of sex work and a major risk factor, there were ways in which sex work could be made safer.
“Dealing with the eradication of sex work is a long process and we have to come up with strategies to keep sex workers safe while we come up with better solutions.
“It is important for stakeholders to create an enabling legal and socio-cultural environment for sex workers and come up with innovative behaviour change programmes. Meaningful income generating projects can also be of assistance,” said Ms Mtetwa.
The ZAPP clinic manager, Ms Sifelani Tshabangu, said outbreaks of STIs and cancer among sex workers were a major challenge, especially among the young.
“The major problem that we have is that some sex workers are below the age of 15 and as such do not want to go to the clinics for treatment. These are the same girls that cannot negotiate for safe sex and sometimes they accept small gifts such as airtime and food in exchange for sex.
“We have therefore recorded a high number of advanced STIs such as genital warts, vaginal discharge and cancer among sex workers. We refer them to hospitals but gynaecologists have failed to help some of them due to the severity of the diseases,” said Ms Tshabangu.
She, however, said the sex work programme was appreciated by sex workers, and ZAPP had managed to attend to more than 6 000 clients.
“There is a high level of demand for our programme, which was nominated the best HIV prevention programme in Mashonaland East and Central. Our peer educators have managed to make married women who had a negative attitude towards our clinics to understand the benefits of treating sex workers.
“Although there are still some police officers who harass sex workers, we have worked well with the Victim Friendly Unit (VFU),” said Ms Tshabangu.
The National Aids Council Provincial Aids Cordinator for Bulawayo Province, Mrs Sinatra Nyathi, said there was need for the transformation of people’s attitudes towards sex workers.
“We have to change our attitudes towards sex work and make sex work programme more relevant in our societies. We need to think broader because sex workers are now found in schools, at universities and workplaces.
“Married men, including pastors, are also contributing to the challenges that come with sex work as most of them refuse to use condoms,” said Mrs Nyathi.
The meeting was attended by stakeholders from different parts of the country.
Online Reporter