PROSTITUTION AND HIV/AIDS

We, the undersigned would like to share our thoughts and concern with the general public on recent news report which is directly or indirectly related to prostitution and HIV/AIDS. As a social workers, it is our ardent duty to make known the facts pertaining to prostitution and HIV/AIDS. At the same time, it is important that health careened to be taken up along with the intervention work but if hampered it may result in inaccessibility to health care which in the long run will only aggravate the problem further.
According to the new definition, under Immoral Traffic Prevention Act 1986 amendment “prostitution” means “the sexual exploitation or abuse of persons for commercial purpose”. Thus prostitution is not confined to the act of a female offering her body for hire but includes sexual exploitation or abuse of a male or a child for commercial purposes.
Prostitution is an illegal profession and prohibited under the law. Despite being illegal, human beings have behaved in these ways since thousand of years and will continue to do so indefinitely. Legal constraints are not going to wish these activities away but make a covert and complicate the task of Harm Reduction as a method of limiting HIV/STI’s spread. We know that in India more than 80% HIV transmission is occurring through sexual contact, which make prostitute and their client highly vulnerable. Prostitution is not known in the history of the Nagas, yet with the change of life style there has been dilution of different cultures in our social structure as a consequence prostitution has made its presence.
Since prostitution is illegal the law enforcing agencies are doing commendable job by tracing sex workers from every nook and corner of the town to flush out this business. It is learnt that more cases are being registered. The law enforcing agencies are doing their jobs sincerely to bring changes in our chaotic society. However, the following points have been highlighted to contemplate the issue critically;
1.    Prostitution business has never been known to have decreased because of strict and stringent law.
2.    Arrests have never prompted sex workers to leave their profession.
3.    Entry of local sex workers are on the rise.
4.    Sex workers arrested can be referred to service providers for health reasons and alternative livelihood leading to behavioral change.
5.    Law enforcement agencies can also pass information on STD/HIV/AIDS and other health issues to the detained sex workers.
6.    Since the community is familiar with the behavior of general population, networking for awareness and health care,
We cannot qualitatively say that prostitution is decreasing, unless the issues are seen from the point of rehabilitation (behavior change) and health care system there will always remain a threat and the repercussions of the disease to the community, whatsoever the law may say or do. It is an open secret the prostitution is still carried under cover which makes the sex workers and their clients highly vulnerable. It will be follies on our part just to see on the legal issues and completely ignore the health aspects because that surely does not alleviate the problems rather it will aggravate it. About two decades ago we thought that AIDS was an alien thing, which has made its presence in the Naga society. Our view is not to malign any person but this has something to do with a disease which still has no cure. Thus, it will depend on the government agencies, NGOs including the community to come under one platform to deliberate to find ways and means for a safe, secure and healthy society. We can all be a partner to create awareness from different aspect so as to minimize the harm through which the spread of the virus can be reduced, as AIDS can happen to anyone at any time and place.
W. Kholie Kapfo Toshi Longchar, kitty Liegise Akheto A. Sumi, Dimapur