AEGiS-14IAC: Secretaries in day offices, commercial sex workers in daily practise.

14th International AIDS Conference


Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

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Secretaries in day offices, commercial sex workers in daily practise.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. D11109)

Ng'ang'a LW, Kaahwa JK
ANNEA-Network NGO, Arusha, Tanzania

ISSUE: Young people are young people:- whether born in France, Thailand, or Tanzania. However, the spread of HIV/AIDS is 5-fold more in the African continent than it is in the first world. Today in Tanzania, one of out every five youth is infected with the HIV virus. Out of 10 infected youth, seven are girls. Why:- Because there is silent commercial sex going on every single day.

DESCRIPTION: This paper will describe the sad state of affairs that go on in East Africa and everyone knows about it yet everyone is very quite about it. Young girls are being coerced by older men, having their rent paid, shopping done and all needs taken care of by older men who are either their bosses or their fathers' friends. The only thing they have to give in return is weekly sex. The men no longer go to commercial sex workers. They have 'AIDS' they say. But the young office secretaries, personal assistants are 'decent girls' with a home and they cannot have the virus. This group of 'decent safe' girls have no form of empowerment. All prevention programmes are tailored towards the vulnerable group of recognised commercial sex workers. Condoms are unknown. So the vicious circle begins. One girl, one boyfriend, one older partner who pays her rent and helps keeps her job and one workmate partner who buys her her week-end drink. The office boss has one wife, one girl he takes out with friends, the office girl whom he sympathises with etc... The young boyfriend has one older woman whose car he drives and services, 2 steady girlfriends.. all in the effort of avoiding HIV/AIDS...and HIV/AIDS spreads and spreads wiping out offices and families. LESSONS LEARNT: We must recognise that those 'nice looking people' are also very vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Empowerment and open dialogue about the life style of the 'normal' office worker in East Africa. De-stigmatisation of condom use and acceptance by all and not just the commercial sex workers.

Keywords: AEGIS, Prostitution, Condoms, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Tanzania, HIV Infections, Safe Sex, Learning, Time, Memory, HIV Seropositivity, Recognition (Psychology), Periodicity, Thailand, Africa, France, Human, Male, FemaleKWDaegis,prostitution,condoms,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,tanzania,hivinfections,safesex,learning,time,memory,hivseropositivity,recognition(psychology),periodicity,thailand,africa,france,human,male,female

020707
D11109

Copyright © 2002 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.