What Works for Women and Girls

confidentiality—violate human rights standards. “The strategy to end demand for sex workhas not worked anywhere so far,” pushing sex workers “…beyond the reach of HIV prevention,health and treatment programs” (Sengupta and Tandon, 2008). A review of sex worker incarcerationin China found that HIV prevention and treatment programs are “scarce” for detainedsex workers (Tucker and Ren, 2008: 34). In the Sonagachi sex worker collective, sex workershave determined the priorities, and designed and implemented the programs. Condom usebetween 1999 and 2007 has increased from 2% to 85% and HIV prevalence has stabilizedat around 5% (Ray, 2008), while other sex workers in India have much higher rates of HIVprevalence.Interventions that improve HIV knowledge and protective behaviors, particularly condomuse, as well as those that respect human rights are the key to successfully preventing HIVamong sex workers. A review of the evidence highlights several strategies that have proveneffective in doing this.What Works—Prevention for Key Affected Populations: Female Sex Workers1. Comprehensive prevention programs that include components such as peereducation, medical services, and support groups, can be effective in enabling sexworkers to adopt safer sex practices.2. Clinic-based interventions with outreach workers can be effective in increasingcondom use among sex workers.3. Policies that involve sex workers, brothel owners and clients in development andimplementation of condom use can increase condom use.4. Providing accessible, routine, high quality, voluntary and confidential STI clinicalservices that include condom promotion can be successful in reducing HIV riskamong sex workers.5. Peer education can increase protective behaviors.6. Interventions targeting male clients can increase condom use and thus reduce HIVrisk for sex workers.Promising Strategies:7. Creating a sense of community and empowerment among sex workers can helpsupport effective HIV prevention.WHAT WORKS FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS79