Protection and participation: an interactive programme introducing the female condom to migrant sex workers in Cambodia

Abstract

The female condom has received much attention for its potential to empower users in negotiating safer sex. Studies demonstrate that the process used to introduce the method can influence subsequent use rates, resulting in calls for comprehensive documentation of introduction activities. This paper details an intervention study introducing the female condom to Vietnamese sex workers in Cambodia. Part of a wider community mobilization approach to reducing HIV/AIDS transmission, the intervention emphasized informed debate, group skills building and collective support. Research methods included both quantitative and qualitative data collection to evaluate the introduction's effect on sex workers' negotiation skills and social support networks. The findings show that approximately 16% of sex workers tried the female condom. Ever-use was significantly associated with participation in intervention workshops, and with indicators of both individual and community empowerment. Sex workers who incorporated the female condom into their work were also more likely to feel a sense of community identity. Introduced through an appropriate process, the female condom can serve as an 'entry point' to building community capacity. It can support sex workers in achieving protected sex and developing cooperative relationships, even in severely restrictive settings.

Sexual Partners and Condom Use of Migrant Workers in Thailand

“…Recently, a number of studies have documented the vulnerability of migrant workers to HIV infection in several Asian countries (Busza & Baker, 2004;He et al, 2005;Lyttleton & Amarapibal, 2002;Nishigaya, 2002;Poudel, Jimba, Okumura, Joshi, & Wakai, 2004;SmithEstelle & Gruskin, 2003).…”

Power, community mobilization, and condom use practices among female sex workers in Andhra Pradesh, India

“…Also, the concept of community mobilization has been used interchangeably with community participation, empowerment, collectivization, and community development, all of which are meant to convey some degree of engagement with marginalized communities, but each of which may also signify distinct kinds of activities [25] with varying degrees of effectiveness in challenging power relations. Such activities range from building individual negotiation skills [26][27][28], to group formation to build or strengthen collective identity or collective efficacy [14,21,29], to advocacy and collective action by FSW on behalf of their peers [21,29,30].…”

Sex work in the Caribbean Basin: Patterns of substance use and HIV risk among migrant sex workers in the US Virgin Islands

“…The clandestine nature of the sex industry, combined with restrictions resulting from undocumented immigration, often create conditions that increase health risks for migrant women engaging in sex work (Gü lçü r & Ikkaracan, 2002). For these reasons, migrating sex workers are often especially marginalized and, as a result, are highly vulnerable to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (Buska & Baker, 2004;del Almo et al, 2005;Farley, 2004). As sexual tourism continues to escalate in many parts of the Caribbean (Kempadoo, 2001;Littlewood, 2003;Ryan & Hall, 2001;Seabrook, 2001;Tate, 2004) the link between sex work and HIV/AIDS has been of growing concern.…”