Publications on Female Sex Workers (FSW)

Indonesia has a large population and is one of the top three countries, after Philippines and Myanmar, to have the highest rate of new HIV infections. Adolescent (15-19 years old) and young (20-24 years old) (AY) key populations (KP), including people who inject drugs (PWID), female sex workers (FSW), males who have sex with males (MSM) and transgender persons (TG), are extremely vulnerable to HIV transmission. However, very little is known about their socio-demographic characteristics, sexual risks, access to services, HIV transmission knowledge and perceived risk and HIV prevalence.

National Baseline BSS among Female Sex Workers (FSW) and their Clients was conducted in 32 States and Union Territories of the country. Topics included in the questionnaire: Background Characteristics, Knowledge, Opinion and Attitude towards STI/HIV/AIDS, Marriage, Family, Income, Number and Type of Partners, Sexual History, Risk Perception and Exposure to Intervention.

The objectives of the survey were to collect data which can be used to track the HIV epidemic among FSW and guide the response in terms of providing prevention, care and treatment services for this population. Key measures of the survey included HIV seroprevalence, key risk behavior data, service utilization, experience with stigma and discrimination, and estimates of population size. The eligibility criteria for the survey were women aged 15-49 years old, currently living or working in the survey city, and who sold sex for cash or kind in the last 12 months.

The general objectives of the study are to determine the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections among FSWs working in the highway areas of Nepal's Terai and to determine the prevalence of HIV and syphilis among the truckers operating on the eastern highway routes of Nepal.

This reference document provides a detailed analysis of transactional sex and discusses policy options and principles of engagement around transactional sex in the context of HIV prevention.

HIV Integrated Biological and Behavioural Surveillance (IBBS) surveys were conducted in 2016-2017 among female sex workers (FSW) in Dili and Baucau, Timor-Leste to track the HIV epidemic, monitor sexual risk behaviours, and to measure access to intervention programs in responding to HIV. FSW were defined as biological females, aged 17 to 49 years, having exchanged sex (anal and/or vaginal) for money or other items of value, to at least two clients, over the past 12 months. This survey resulted in a sample of 202 FSW in Dili and 110 FSW in Baucau.

One of the objectives of this presentation is to determine national prevalence estimates and related risk behaviors for HIV and syphilis among entertainment workers (EW).

At the request of Asia Catalyst, the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice worked with two law firms and four local offices of these law firms to conduct a literature review on the legal provisions governing police arrests and compulsory detention of sex workers in Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Sex workers experienced stock-outs of antiretroviral drugs for HIV in more than half of the countries that responded to the consultation, in all types of health care settings. Sex workers experience forced treatment interruptions and involuntary medication changes due to stock-outs, and are forced to travel long distances to access commodities and treatments due to stock-outs in their local areas. This ultimately leads to a lack of trust in health services and systems.

Linkages across the Continuum of HIV Services for Key Populations Affected by HIV Project (LINKAGES), is a five-year cooperative agreement funded by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).