Ms. Amaka
Enemo, national coordinator, National Sex Workers Association, has
appealed to the Federal Government to de-criminalise sex work in Nigeria
for effective control of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
Enemo
made the appeal on Wednesday in Abuja while briefing newsmen at the
inauguration of a new report on ‘Understanding the high risk of urban
sexual networks in Nigeria.’
The
national coordinator said that everybody is at risk of whatever he
does, adding that sex workers faced a lot of violence especially from
their clients, thugs and law enforcement agents.
She
said that most of the times, police and other law enforcement agents
exploit sex workers when they raid their brothels or streets where sex
workers conduct their business.
“When
they are arrested, some of the law enforcement agents demand and
conduct unprotected sexual acts with the sex workers, who do not have
money.
“This exposes the sex workers to the risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections,” she said.
According to Enemo, de-criminalising sex work will reduce the risk and the violence sex workers face in Nigeria.
She added that government would also benefit from the sex workers because they would pay tax.
The
national coordinator said that in Amsterdam where sex work is
legalised, sex workers pay 160 Euros to enable them stay in a ‘window
for eight hours.’
She explained that window is a place where a sex worker stays to wait for her clients.
Enemo
said the report highlighted areas and populations who are at risk of
contracting HIV infections who were yet to receive any intervention.
She said the report also highlighted places in Abuja where sex workers do not know about condom, lubricants and other services.
She
urged the public not to criminalise sex work, urging them to protect
sex workers in order for the society to be free of sexually transmitted
infections.
“If
a sex worker is infected with HIV and sleeps with a man and transmits
the disease to him, the man will eventually transmit the infection to
either his wife or girlfriend and others.
“The
best thing to do is to support them, de-criminalise their work so that
they can do their work in human environment,” Enemo added.
~Independent
0 comments:
Post a Comment