Protecting the unprotected: mixed-method research on drug use, sex work and rights in Pakistan's fight against HIV/AIDS

Abstract

High levels of discrimination and abuse of human dignity of all groups studied were revealed. This violates their physical and mental integrity and also leads to an increased risk of HIV. The sexual and social interactions between groups mean that human rights abuses experienced by one high-risk group can increase the risk of HIV both for them and other groups. The protection of human rights needs to become an integral part of a multisector response to the risk of HIV/AIDS by state and non-state agencies. The Government of Pakistan should work at both legal and programme levels to protect the rights of, and minimise discrimination against, groups vulnerable to HIV in order to reduce the potential for the spread of HIV before the epidemic takes hold.

Syringe Confiscation as an HIV Risk Factor: The Public Health Implications of Arbitrary Policing in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

“…[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]23,26,46,48,49 Previous studies along Mexico's North Border have contributed to this international consensus by identifying a panoply of associations between criminal justice experiences and behavioral risk factors, including syringe sharing. 29,50,51 We have also observed independent associations between arrest and HIV status.…”

“…As seen in Table 1, median age was 33 (interquartile range [IQR], 27-40); 38 % were married and 42 % had children dependents. Most (80 %) engaged in street-based sex work, with a median of 10 h spent on the street daily (IQR, [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. Almost half of the respondents (48 %) reported having syringes confiscated in the last 6 months.…”

“…[4][5][6] A growing body of research explores the synergistic impact of health and human rights challenges facing vulnerable groups, including FSW-IDUs. [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] From an epidemiological perspective, FSW-IDUs command special focus because they can acquire communicable infections through both the sexual and injection routes, making them critical to community-level HIV and STI prevention. [18][19][20] From a human rights perspective, this population is doubly marginalized by policies criminalizing drug use and prostitution.…”

Occupational health and safety among commercial sex workers

“…On the other hand, Bletzer also notes violence arising from women robbing clients. While Bletzer reports predominantly on the risk of violence from clients, other studies have served to highlight the levels of violence that sex workers suffer at the hands of other perpetrators such as the police (26); long-term and regular partners (27); and neighbors and community members (26).…”

The Role of Community-Mindedness in the Self-Regulation of Drug Cultures

“…The combination of a structure and a content focus in the same investigation has turned out to be very useful in building on already existing knowledge by contributing innovative, often unexpected elements (e.g. Beckerleg 2004 ;Rodner 2005 ;Mayhew et al 2009 ) . Therefore, the argument here is not against quantitative and for qualitative methods in drugs research, but for the equal necessity and importance of both methodological approaches, separately or together and each in due course.…”