Sex-workers are one of the groups that are vulnerable to HIV. There are no government programs aimed at working with this category in Russia. According to a study conducted by the Open Health Institute in , the percentage of sex workers with HIV varies from 1. Sex-workers are vulnerable to HIV for a number of reasons. They have limited access to medical, legal and social services, information and prevention means. However, the most significant factor is violence from partners, clients, administrators, and police officers.
The community on its own studied violence against sex workers. According to the study, the above statistics directly correlate with the HIV incidence rate among sex workers. Persecution by the police deprives sex workers of the opportunity to work in safe conditions, choose clients, or use condoms at every contact.
Involving community representatives in the project work is the basis for effective prevention. In addition to highlighting services of prevention of HIV and sexually transmitted infections STIs , a lot of emphasis is placed on strengthening the community and increasing the legal literacy of sex workers.
The Silver Rose, a movement of sex workers and their supporters, has been fighting against violence since Today, the movement unites sex worker leaders in more than 35 regions of the Russian Federation. Under the guidance of the leader Irina Maslova, the Silver Rose, using their own resources, are implementing a unique for Russia HIV prevention project aimed at this key group. The girls are provided with condoms, referrals to trusted doctors, and psychological and legal assistance; they are taught how to protect themselves from HIV and violence.
Girls must learn to defend themselves in the face of a constant threat of violence. Now, at the completion of projects supported with grants of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, we are thinking about the transition to self-financing. As of today, the legislation of the Russian Federation triggers and promotes discrimination of sex workers as well as human rights violations. Sex work is punished under administrative and criminal codes. However, this discriminatory legislation poses more problems than it solves since it deprives sex workers of fundamental rights and freedoms, including freedom of assembly on issues of healthcare and HIV prevention.
