Abstract Book Vol. 2 [International Conference on AIDS (14th: 2002: Barcelona, Spain)]

668 Abstracts ThPeG8333-ThPeG8337

XIV International AIDS Conference

Recommendation: The imperious implementation of prevention policies involving these populations, to be carried out by NGOs engaged in the global problem
of the incarcerated, in order to guarantee the necessary vote of confidence between the parts.
Presenting author: Carmen Maidagan, Mitre 907 6th floor, 2000, Rosario, Santa
Fe, Argentina, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: carmu
@data54.com
ThPeG8333 HIV/AIDS awareness for the disabled - the case of
South Africa
A.PM. Yee. RAISA/VSO, PO Box 55648, Pietersburg, 0700, South Africa
Issue: There is a lack of appropriate and relevant HIV/AIDS awareness and education for the disabled in South Africa.
Description: The disabled are a vulnerable part of the population. They are segregated and access to services and popular education is poor. There is a stigma
that the disabled are not sexually active. Research was done into AIDS organisations and disabled person's organisations to assess the capability and competency with which HIV/AIDS education for the disabled is happening.
Lessons learned: Appropriate resourced for disabled organisations have not
been developed. Disabled organisations are not trained or targeted for training
by AIDS organisations to disseminate the knowledge. De-stigmatisation is crucial
to igniting the relationship between the two groups.
Recommendations: Networking and communication between AIDS organisations and disabled organisations needs to improve. Advocacy and programs need
to be created in partnership.
Presenting author: Ada Yee, PO Box 55648, Pietersburg, 700, South Africa, Tel.:
[phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeG8334I Decriminalizing sex work in Cambodia
M. Tep. NGO, PO box 2625 PP3, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
This abstract highlights CARAM Cambodia perspective on the sex industry in Phnom Penh in the wake of the Cambodian Government crackdown on Karaoke
bars and dancing halls where young women from rural areas made their living as
sex workers. Emphasis was placed on a marginalized group of Vietnamese sex
workers who were lured by the promise of a good job opportunity in Cambodia,
found themselves unemployed and struggled to make ends meet by plying their
trade in the dark streets of Phnom Penh and soliciting clients who sought sexual
gratification in public parks. Their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS is increased considerably, as these women work underground to avoid police harassment and arrest
and possible detention. The sex workers must spend more time working in the
street at night, and fall prey easily to physical and sexual abuse from clients. Attempts to implement safe sex programs and 100 percent condom use often fail,
as most sex workers cannot be reached by aid organizations.
Decriminalizing and legalizing the sex industry in Cambodia is a possible solution,
among others, to the plight of those sex workers affected by the closure of their
workplace.
Drawing on lessons learnt with our peer educator/support group set up for Vietnamese sex workers operating in massage parlors and hair salons in Phnom
Penh, we firmly believe that strong advocacy for the human rights of sex workers
is a tool to help curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in Cambodia.
Vietnamese sex workers migrated to work in Cambodia to pay their debts. Because of their low education and illegal status, they are often victims of stigmatization and discrimination and have no other choice but to enter the sex industry
CARAM Cambodia's advocacy aims to empower the Vietnamese sex workers
with skills and education to make a sustainable change to their livelihoods. Helping them realize their dreams will make a difference in our fight against HIV/AIDS.
Presenting author: Mony Tep, PO box 2625 PP3, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tel.:
[phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeG8335 Involving 'marginalized and vulnerable'
populations in educational, support and volunteer
programming
D.E. Jakubec. HIV Edmonton, suite 600, 10242 105 street, edmonton, alberta,
Canada
Every aids service organisation must work to involve all populations in their volunteer, support and educational programming if they are to achieve 'buy-in' from the
communities that they serve. Often, the people who are least involved in volunteer/support/educational programming are the most vulnerable and marginalized
in a community. In edmonton, canada, an increasing number of intravenous drug
users are becoming infected with hiv and hepatitis, our client bases are expanding to reflect these changes. As an organisation we embrace a harm reduction

method of service provision and have found that to best serve this cross section
of persons and better represent our community as a whole we must make every effort to include the marginalized members of our community in our volunteer
base. Including street-involved individuals as 'natural helper's' posed some interesting dilemmas. This session is designed to address some of the challenges fundamental to engaging 'marginalized and under-represented groups' in volunteer
roles. In a round table format, discussion will address issues including: appropri
ate programming and support for these volunteers, and recruitment, retention and
recognition of these populations.
Presenting author: deborah jakubec, suite 600, 10242 105 street, edmonton, alberta, Canada, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeG8336 Sexual citizenship: a strong weapon against AIDS -
The experience of the center of citizenship and
solidarity to sexual orientations
A. Pereira Jr. GAPA-BA (Institution), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Issues: For the so-called "sexual minorities" (gays, lesbians, transvestites, transexuals, commercial sex workers) the difficult context of prejudice and denial of
rights is a factor that brings serious limitations to the efforts for the prevention of
HIV. The promotion of sexual citizenship is one of the main weapons to be used
in the struggle against AIDS. With this objective, Gapa-Ba created the Center of
Citizenship and Solidarity to Sexual Orientations (CECSOS), in November, 2000.
Description: CECSOS offers direct support to segments that are socially excluded due to their sexuality It is structured around three major strategies:
a)Gapa-Ba's insertion in the debate, social mobilization and political articulation
for the promotion of the Human Rights of homo-bisexual individuals, transvestites,
transexuals and commercial sex workers; b)activities for the "education for citizenship" and the building/strengthening of self-esteem among these groups; c)
attending to individual and collective requests for the defense of their rights, seeing that they come into effect.
Lessons learned: Especially by using alternative techniques of communication,
such as drama and dance, the intersection between prevention of AIDS and education for citizenship has brought excellent results. In approximately one year of
work, CECSOS has carried out over 50 activities for the education for citizenship,
with an average of 30 participants in each; 50 thousand condons have also been
distributed free of charge to low-income gays, lesbians, transvestites, transexuals and commercial sex workers in Salvador, as well as 15 thousand informative
items about Sexual Citizenship and AIDS.
Recommendation: Because of the success that has been reached, the goal for
the next years is to widen and diversify the offer of services, including a hotline for
complaints of violation of rights. We are also going to promote a national seminar
on "Sexual Citizenship and AIDS" in the year 2003.
Presenting author: Almir Pereira Jr, Rua Comendador Gomes Costa 39, Salvador, Bahia, CEP 40070120, Brazil, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone]
4623, E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeG8337 Ethical challenges in undertaking HIV/AIDS
Research in resource constrained settings:
Experiences with sex workers at truck stops in
South Africa
F. van Loqclerenberi1, G. Ramjee2, Q. Abdool Karim1, S.S. Abdool Karim3.
1Fogarty AIDS Training Programme, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine,
Congella, South Africa; 2Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa;
3University of Natal, Durban, South Africa
Issues: Sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear a disproportionate burden of HIV
infection, particularly in the most marginalized communities. This places greater
imperatives for the development of new strategies and technologies to prevent
the further spread of HIV and minimise the impact of AIDS. The conduct of much
needed research in these communities poses many ethical dilemmas that are not
easily resolvable.
Description: As part of a natural history study of HIV infection, a cohort of very
high-risk female sex workers was recruited. This is a truly marginalized community, both in terms of the illegal nature of their profession as well as the geographical isolation of the truck stops where they work.
Lessons learned: 1. As sex workers are typically of a lower socio-economic status with inadequate access to public health care, compensation for participation
and medical treatment provided could be construed as undue inducement to take
part in research. 2. Although the freedom to quit the research is an essential element of informed consent, limited access to health care and other prevention
resources in this cohort brings into question the extent to which they can refuse
participation. 3. In a closed community such as this one, the different treatment
of HIV negative and HIV positive patients can easily be observed by other participants, compromising confidentiality with regard to HIV status. 4. Research participants can become involved in research in the belief that their participation will
have direct benefits to themselves. This is often not possible and in conflict with
the process of science which tends to lead to an incremental increase in knowledge rather than single pivotal studies of immediate benefit to the participants.
Recommendations: Innovative strategies in conducting research involving close
partnerships between researchers and this sex worker community have been developed and implemented as one approach to addressing the above ethical dilem
mas.
Presenting author: Francois van Loggerenberg, Fogarty AIDS Training Programme, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, Private Bag 7, CONGELLA
4013, South Africa, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: loggerenbergf @ nu.ac.za