Posted by: Nidhi | March 9, 2006

HIV/ AIDS

I am working under the project which do the advocacy in HIV/ AIDS stigma and discrimination and make Policies. We are sharing our office with another organisation they are also almost in the same project but they work how to do the awareness to control the spread of HIV/ AIDS. In our project, it is more of meeting Government officials, work with MSACS (Maharashtra State AIDS Control Society) and make Policies for them. In their project, they do more of filed work like visit villages, brothel areas, meet sex workers and provide them awareness of how to control HIV/ AIDS.

Yesterday, while having lunch together their representative was telling me that they arrange a training group of all sex workers. They tell them that there are different ways of doing it. They should use different methods to avoid direct sex. Then they guide them different positions. Further, they tell them having multiple partners are common among everywhere not only among them. They should be open to that provided they do safe sex. I was completely stunned after hearing this. I have asked the person is this the awareness towards HIV/ AIDS or promoting them for more sex. As per my understanding, prostitution is illegal in India. If they meet sex workers, they should do something to stop that profession. As per their argument, they say we tell them different positions so that they dont get contact directly with other partner and this will control the spread of HIV/ AIDS. This is their profession and they are not going to stop that nor their project says that they have to stop the sex workers. Their project is about to stop the spread of HIV/ AIDS. I was still not satisfied, if we tell them that mutiple sex is okay and very common practice, that means they are encouraging them. They have no issues about this profession and they just wanted to tell sex workers to use oral sex to avoid contact. AMAZING…..

I am surprised that something which is illegal, but still been done legally, everyone knows about it, NGO’s meet them and arrange trainings for them openly and they do it legally. I dont know how it is legal for NGOs to do that.

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Responses

Hi Nidhi,

Good blog over the HIV/AIDS. I’m really impressed by this post

Mayank :)

By: my330space on March 9, 2006
at 12:57 pm

Thanks Mayank. Nidhi :)

By: Nidhi on March 9, 2006
at 1:00 pm

I am too worried, if again you find some other spelling mistake in this post. LOL :)

By: Nidhi on March 9, 2006
at 1:02 pm

Hi Nidhi,

you know your blog content is impressive but when you do spell mistake in blog content then it throws bad impression over the reader. That why I’m pointing spell error.

Mayank

By: my330space on March 9, 2006
at 1:15 pm

I didn’t understand the part about sharing the office space. Are you also working on spreading awareness about HIV?

By: manishbansal on March 9, 2006
at 1:28 pm

I agree with what you are saying that illegal things are happening legally.

There are few things in society [not only ours, but worldwide] that are never going to change irrespective of how much you try and prostitution is one of them.

I’m not going to go into the subject of why prostitution occurs or who’s to blame, that not the reason for my comment.

What I want to say is atleast they are trying their bit to make sure that a deadly disease like HIV/AIDS does not become a major scare in the society by educating sex workers about it and telling them the preventive measures.

By: Neeraj on March 9, 2006
at 2:07 pm

No. Since our funding organisation is the same so through mutual understanding we share the office space with them. The only difference is that they are NGO, work to spread awareness in HIV and we are international organisation which does more of Policy making with the Government.

By: Nidhi on March 9, 2006
at 2:14 pm

Hi Neeraj, I think thats what the other organisation people also thinks. My perception is, they are encouraging them to have more sex. They dont aware them not to have multiple partners as it could lead to STI, RTIs and many other infectious diseases including HIV.

By: Nidhi on March 9, 2006
at 2:18 pm

Hi Nidhi , i quite agree with u that they r not taking steps in right manner. They r encouraging them to have safe sex not to avoid mulitiple partners . whenever i see some HIV releted ads on TV they clearly mention that have safe sex with ur partner only . i wonder why these representative r not inculcating the right things .
Nidhi , i think u wud be the right person to talk about it to those representives :).

wonderful blog which has so many meaningful messages.Kudos to u Nidhi :).

By: Dilip on March 9, 2006
at 3:03 pm

You are mixing two different issues.

The broader perspective is “Safe Sex” and not specific just to prostitution. As I understand from your entry, the organisation you are talking about works specifically for HIV/AIDS awareness, and that’s what they are doing.

If you want to curb prostitution, then join a team that works in that area or talk to people working in those teams.

By: Neeraj on March 9, 2006
at 3:33 pm

I’m shocked, and to put it bluntly, I would have expected more. I believe the issue here isn’t actually about the spread of a potentially deadly illness, but peoples distaste for those who happen to work as prostitutes. Would your opinion be any different if it was legal? Will this post be followed by an anti-homosexual post with regards the statistics on gay mens involvement in the spread of HIV?

By: krome.obsession on March 9, 2006
at 3:34 pm

In our organisation, we cannot distaste the sex workers. We are getting paid to make policies how to reduce the discrimination…..I have met many people suffering from HIV/ AIDS in some of our workshops. Most of them are homosexual now. I can never think of ignoring them or make them feel seperate from us. My opinion would be the same even if its legal. Having multiple partners is like inviting many diseases.

I agree with the point of Neeraj, if the project is only to reduce the spread of HIV then they focus only to guide them to have safe sex. They wont put their hands into “why they came into this profession’ and “why they should not have multiple partners’

By: Nidhi on March 9, 2006
at 4:03 pm

I am concerned about your concern but agree with Neeraj completely as it is bitter fact. The drive can be safe sex and morality cannot be taught. The disease may be eradicated but not the mentality.

By: JV on March 9, 2006
at 8:51 pm

I love the way people always bring up the issue of morality when it comes to prostitution, the ideas of societies rights and wrongs. It’s strange to have someone say morality can’t be taught, considering that’s usually how it happens, people are taught what is right or wrong .. and some people choose to reject that. There are countries that now don’t consider prostitution a crime, and have chosen to allow those who work in that industry to live a better life by passing laws to protect, support, and help them.
I realise that there are countless people apposed to this due to their religious convictions, but I believe that it is through the support and education of workers that they can live a safer life, and hopefully, for those who don’t actually want to be in that career, they can get out.
Is it not important to help and support these peoples to make safe and positive decisions in their lives?

By: krome.obsession on March 10, 2006
at 5:54 am

Nidhi, I guess even if its illegal. Its the most needed thing in here. If those workers are not allowed to do so, every other lady in India will feel insecure while walking down the street! Even though its called illegal, no one can stop it. Its everywhere in the world and at some limit, its needed.

By: Life is Colorful on March 10, 2006
at 4:06 pm

I think no one can stop that crap from happening, be it the NGOs, the government or any other thing.

It has been from years and will be there.

It is only in the hands of the sex workers and the people who go to them that can settle this crap down…….

Forget abotu trying to decrease the spread of AIDS only through sex workers. You should mainly focus on school and colleges as many teenagers just wonder around and do it thinking it is cool and find them in BIG DEEP troubles.

By: Falak on March 11, 2006
at 12:14 am

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