Marseille 2007
| Abstract #142 - How does behavioural change happen for sex workers? The experience in Bulgaria | ||||
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Session: 30.6: Sex and sexuality (Parallel) on Tuesday @ 11.00-12.30 in CP Chaired by Peter Weatherburn, Linda Pride Authors: Presenting Author: Ms Violetta Kandzhikova - Health and Social Development Foundation, Bulgaria |
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| Additional Authors: | ||||
| Aim: The Power of Prevention (POP) Project is a joint endeavour of three HIV prevention NGOs: SOAAIDS (the Netherlands), JAZAS (Serbia) and HESED (Bulgaria), supported by the MATRA programme of the Dutch Government. It is aimed at HIV/AIDS/STIs prevention among sex workers in Serbia and Bulgaria. This presentation will focus on the changes in the situation of the Bulgarian sex workers. | ||||
| Method / Issue: Being founded on the public health values, HESED had formed a team of psychologists and social workers, who would be able to reflect on the methodology, describe the lessons learnt and search for further training in the art of helping and behavioural change. Safer sex and injecting materials are being distributed, specific educational materials published, the SWs are included in all decisions, health counseling is put as a priority and trainings for the peer educators are being organized. Apart from working at individual and group level, the team specifically targets the political level and the one of the services, working directly with the sex workers (police officers, medical doctors). With the strong support of the Dutch partner, specialized seminars for policemen and medical doctors are carried out. The prevention efforts among SWs became a part of the regular curriculum of the police officers. Practical Guidelines for HIV/STIs Control among sex workers were developed by the leading dermato-venearologists. | ||||
| Results / Comments: When HESED started working on the streets of Sofia 10 years ago, the majority of the sex workers had never heard of HIV/AIDS; none has ever used a lubricant; 4 % had never visited any kind of a physician after their childhood; the criminal control was very harsh; the police treated them as criminals and couldnt accept the outreach team; the health professionals had high requirements for any type of treatment, including STIs; the legislation was neither regulating, nor prohibiting prostitution; and finally the country was in a very serious economical and political crisis. Bulgaria has been lucky to have a Ministry of Health, which is open and engaged with HIV/AIDS prevention and in 2003 HESED, together with other NGOs, was invited to take part in the proposal development of a large HIV prevention programme, funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The Bulgarian partner in the POP project is currently responsible for the recruitment, training and the coordination of nine outreach teams, working with SWs throughout the country. With regards to the working field of HESEDs outreach team, Sofia: a significantly higher number SWs are being reached; more than 90 % of them have received low-threshold medical services, use condoms and lubricants and know basic facts about HIV. The criminal control, where still present, is more aimed at using our services after an inevitable hard work with the people involved. The police is more tolerant and the medical doctors offer flexible treatment schemes. The legislation regarding prostitution has not changed and it seems to be favourable for the moment. | ||||
| Discussion: What were the main factors of behaviour change for the sex workers in Sofia? | ||||
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