And in Nepal a research project involving voluntary HIV-testing of sex workers resulted in the promotion of and increase in condom use. In Africa sex workers use condoms less than their counterparts elsewhere, and the incidence of AIDS among prostitutes has increased dramatically. In one study of prostitutes in Nairobi it was found that infection rates rose from 4 per cent in 1981 to 61 per cent in 1985. But education of both clients and workers can make a difference. One campaign in central Africa which combined education with the distribution of condoms reported that 75 per cent of the 596 prostitutes involved were now using them.
Most countries deal with sex work by legislating against it.
But this forces sex workers to hide, which also has the effect of cutting them off from society. There is little evidence to show that this affects the amount of commercial sex available. But it does affect the health, welfare and self-esteem of sex workers, which are in inverse proportion to the legal sanctions against them. We look forward to the day when the contribution that sex workers can make to the health of the whole community is recognized. Only then might the word 'prostitute' be replaced with the phrase 'safe-sex educator'.