Issue No.15 (October 2004)
Table of Content
The 15th International AIDS ConferenceFeedback from “Sisters”
Feedback from Volunteers
How to Minimize the Risk of Sex Workers for Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Aids Prevention•Morality VS Practicability
Stardust
Work Report
Film Introduction
From the Editor :
AIDS is one of the most terrifying diseases threatening the world population. To date, it is still an incurable disease. People’s fear over AIDS, partly comes from its incurability as well as its way of transmission. One of the major channels of infecting AIDS is through sex contacts. Given its association with sex, AIDS has invited a greater level of public odium.
It is common in our society that sex workers and their clients, gays, traffickers, drug addicts as well as teenagers are labeled as high-risk groups of AIDS infection. Yet, such labeling has brought two negative consequences to the society. Firstly, these so-called “high-risk groups” have adopted certain practices in sex behavior that are different from what is social norm i.e. sex behavior conducted under the framework of two heterosexual partners, one to one and with legal marital relationship. Distinguishing these high-risk groups from the vast population only further aggravates the labeling effect and stigmatization. Secondly, the risk of the general public infecting AIDS is higher because people would have a mistaken perception that only when they alienate themselves from the practices of those “high-risk groups”, they would not immune from infecting AIDS.
Disease never selects victims, but our sex behaviors would determine. Neither the practice of having more than one sex partners at the same time nor anal sex would make a person infected. The use of condom usually plays a more crucial part.
The 15th International AIDS Conference
Date: 11th July to 16th July 2004
Venue: IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Centre (Muang Thong Thani), Nonthaburi
Theme of the Conference: ACCESS FOR ALL, meaning ‘everyone has the right, opportunity and freedom of utilization’. The theme “Access for all” has two implications:
1) it should be ensured that people from different social classes and groups, including scientists, social workers and leaders have the opportunities and freedom to obtain resources related to AIDS.
2) The theme has also implies that all those who are infected and influenced by the virus should have the rights and opportunities to gain access to education, medical services and AIDS-related information. This means that not only those who are infected, but also those who are influenced, such as those who take care of people with HIV/AIDS, those who give support to people with HIV/AIDS in various ways, and those who propose and work on developing new AIDS-related policies, should have the rights and opportunities to obtain AIDS-related information. In other words, all of these people should be free to obtain AIDS-related resources and information.
Activities related to Sex Workers
1. Opening of “A-GO-GO BAR” by EMPOWER
An organization of sex workers in Thailand named ‘EMPOWER’ set up a stall in ‘Global Village’, with ‘BAR’ as the theme. We participated in the opening ceremony of the < A-GO-GO BAR> with other sex workers on the first day.
Their performances included strip dance, sex show and mainly about techniques in protecting sexual health during work.
2. Conference of sex workers
In the afternoon of 12 July, female sex workers from different parts of the world, including Thailand, Australia, Cambodia, India, Brazil, The United States of America, Canada, Japan and Hong Kong gathered for the conference. The conference was divided into two parts. In the first part, representatives reported the current situation of female sex workers in different parts of the world, the problems they faced, and how they fought for their rights. For the second part, they summarized and figured out the common problems faced by sex workers. They also discussed on these problems and reached consensus. Their representatives raised their pleadings in the Press Conference which held at the night of the next day.
Common beliefs among sex workers from different parts of the world:
1. Sex work is work
2. The rights of female sex workers are human rights
The 4 common problems faced by sex workers from different parts of the world:
- Continuous disturbance and unreasonable exploitation from police to sex workers
- Serious discrimination against sex workers
- The 100% using condoms policy is inefficient in protecting the health of sex workers. It is also used by the police as a mean to oppress sex workers. This makes the situation of sex workers even harder.
- Decriminalization of sex work
3.Press Conference
The sex workers figured out some common problems they faced in different parts of the world and concluded four most important problems: we have to voice out our own opinion and let other people know that our conditions and the problems we are facing. Therefore, in the Press Conference held at the night of 13 July, the representatives of the sex workers released the consensus document to the mass media, and uncovered the problems that they were facing to the public as well.
4.Workshops of the female sex workers
Workshops were held on 13th July and 14th July.
In the workshop held on 13th July, Zi Teng performed a drama in front of the sex workers from different parts of the world and the mass media. Moreover, in order to let people know more about Zi Teng, the sex workers from Hong Kong introduced to the mass media about the work, resources and the publications of Zi Teng.
Besides introducing Zi Teng, the workshop was divided into three group activities. The first activity was the sharing of techniques among the sex workers. The host taught their group members/sex workers how to help their customers wearing condoms without their notice.
The second group activity was about the production of posters.
The third group activity was discussion about points to note when designing projects related to sex workers.
The second workshop was held in the morning of 14th July, hosted by group of sex workers from Australia. Besides demonstration of working techniques, they brought two important messages:
A.Many sex workers are not conscious about the professionalism of sex work. They emphasized that sex work includes many professional knowledge, such as skills for sex service, bargaining techniques with customers, and techniques in protecting personal safety and health etc. Though sex workers use these professional techniques everyday, the skills are not easy to be managed, and sex workers rarely recognize that their work is professional. Through this workshop, the group of sex workers from Australia wanted to raise the conscious of other sex workers about their own profession.
B.The group of sex workers from Australia also put forward their perspectives about the existing peer education among sex workers. For the existing peer education, sex workers will go to areas to contact other sex workers, and achieve educational purpose by building up relation with them. The sex workers from Australia thought this is a good idea but it is not enough. They thought that the significance of peer education should be the ability of sex workers to participate in the services or decision making, which is the real function of peer education.
5.Demonstration 
In order to make their voice to be heard, all the sex workers gathered themselves
and took part in the demonstration held in the dusk of 14th. We cried out
the slogan ‘SEX WORKER’S RIGHT IS HUMAN RIGHT’ along the road and hoped that
the public will respect the rights of sex workers.
6.BAD NIGHT PARTY
BAD NIGHT PARTY was a gathering among the sex workers. As the host, the Thai
sex workers’ group EMPOWER held the BAD NIGHT PARTY in a bar, so that the
sex workers from different parts of the world could drink, dance and have
fun for the night.
Other Work done by Zi Teng
I. Road Shows
Besides appreciating the performance of the others, we performed a drama about
sex workers using condoms with the contraception sets we brought from Hong
Kong also. The drama was mainly about the imitation of circumstances sex
workers face during work. Through this simple and active drama, we wanted
to spread the message of safe sex and the importance of personal health for
sex workers. We performed road shows in the morning of 12th July for the
opening of ‘A-GO-GO’ Bar, and in the workshop in the afternoon of 13th July.
II. Photo Exhibition of the Hong Kong Female Sex workers
In this trip to Thailand, we also brought with us the pictures shown in the photo exhibition “My Sex Life”. We wanted to grab every chance to make the public to have a deeper understanding towards the life of sex workers. Although Zi Teng did not have a formal stall in the Global Village, we were able to find some space to exhibit the photos that showed the life of the sex workers in Hong Kong. Though there were not many photos, the exhibition still attracted quite a number of audiences.
III.Data Collection
With the assistance of EMPOWER, we were able to enter the main exhibition venue of the conference. We collected many AIDS-related reports and information related to sex workers there. We hope that this information will be useful to the work of Zi Teng or the work of sex workers.
IV. Sale of Zi Teng's T Shirt, Publications and Distribution of Zi Teng's Leaflets
Besides photos exhibition, we also sold Zi Tend’s T- Shirts, and many people bought them. Among all, the T-shirts with butterfly pattern and the pattern of colorful condoms were the most popular. It is because the designs are delicate and are able to spread the message of safe sex.
V.Ah hoc Event: Support EMPOWER
The performance of EMPOWER in “A -GO -GO” bar was prohibited by the police since the police force thought that the show had negative influence towards the public. But EMPOWER believed that they were teaching the public to have correct knowledge about sex and spreading the message of safe sex. Therefore, they insisted to continue the performance. This raised the concern of the mass media, and we rushed back to the Global Village in order to support EMPOWER in counteracting the unreasonable action of the police force. We could also see people’s conservative attitude towards sex through this event.
Ah Ping
On May 11, Mr. Annon, Secretary General of the United Nation, in the International AIDS Conference warned the world that this life threatening disease has caused 7 million people’s life in danger in the Asia Pacific region and hundred thousands of people died because of this. After experiencing more exposure to the outside world, I have changed, learned, felt and heard a lot more. Even in US, a country that is generally considered to be democratic, advance and peaceful, people there are even more conservative and feudalistic than any other countries. Sex workers there are generally looked down upon by people. Even their boyfriends are also despised of as well. Sex workers can be imprisoned for 3 months to half of a year. The situation of sex workers in India is the same. They are not allowed to wear shoes and so do their children. Their children are not permitted to go to school and receive education. However, the number of sex worker there is huge. There are 6.5 million of them and as a result, they unite together to run their own schools. In Cambodia, young sex workers at the age of 7 or 8 only earn US$1.2 for one sex service. The situation is still the same now. People from more advance countries treat them as experimental subjects for AIDS drug. This is a tragedy in the human world. In the press conference, some participants expressed some of their feelings and thoughts, however, I did not find any concrete conclusion. I also participated in the march. I felt that it was different from those organized in Hong Kong, because this march pulled all other sex workers from various countries together to fight for our rights and express our voice. The other thing was that I do not know English. I could only understand what was said through translation. So I will learn English by heart, so that I can communicate with my other “sisters”.
In Bangkok, I could see and feel that the world is full of “sisters” and we are all over the world. Everybody shared how hard their lives were in their countries and how cops troubled them. They raised all kinds of problems. In conclusion, I do feel that we are burdened with a lot of responsibilities and we still have a long way to go. In Africa, India, Laos, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, our sisters are living in extremely terrible situation. They do not have any medical facilities, nobody helps them to fight for their rights and improve their working environment. I do feel that Hong Kong is an advance and civilized city. We have condoms to protect our health, so that we can continue to work and earn our living. In this conference, I got to know a lot of our “sisters” from various parts of the world. Now, I can see that, Zi Teng in Hong Kong, is a very pioneering organization in Asia. We keep communicating with people from the grass-root. We go and approach each of our sisters. We launch publicity activities, give help and assistance, and try to understand their needs. Starting from legal knowledge, work nature, health and to life events, we have done a lot of work and expressed our points of view. However, there are still rooms of improvement because we have 200,000 sex workers here. We have not yet reached each of these hearts. There are still a lot of work waiting for us, including nightclubs, karaokes, bars, saunas, dancing parlors as well as the new comers from abroad. We have to learn from Australia and some other European countries. It is an undeniable fact that we -“sisters”, have helped to contribute and promote societal stability, resolved human distress, violence and family problems, reduced rape cases, alleviated homosexual relationship and crime as well. The other thing is that we earn our own living so that we do not have to rely on social security and other forms of assistance. Our contribution to the community in solving social problems should be recognized.
We need to unite ourselves, express our voice, pay effort, fight for our right to work and human rights. In Brazil, they have fought for 20 years and now they have their own trade union. They have their right to work and the appropriate laws to protect them. We should have the same in Hong Kong. We have to fight for all the sex workers in Hong Kong. We should join hands with each other to work hard and fight for all rights, protection and power. Sex work is only a kind of work. It should have dignity and human rights.
May
I do feel that the meeting held in Thailand is very meaningful. On one hand, it has raised the public concern regarding safe sex and the importance of using condom; on the other hand, I can see the effort and unity of the sisters in Thailand. It is worthwhile for us to learn from them.
Our sisters there are very enthusiastic in fighting for their rights. They are brave enough to stand out and express their request concerning their industry. This is opposite to the situation in Hong Kong, as our sisters here are more personal, self-concern and still consider our job as a taboo. There are only a few who dare to stand out and speak for ourselves. Yet, for those who dare to speak up, they still have to wear a mask in front of the public. This may be due to the pressure from their family and work. Therefore, we have to work harder in this area.
In fact, information of AIDS and safe sex should be further promoted as well. A lot of our sisters coming from China do not have sufficient knowledge regarding AIDS too. They take the risk of AIDS infection by agreeing not to use condom upon their clients’ request in return for a higher pay. The Government and the relevant organizations should put more effort in public education.
All in all, the objective of the meeting is good. I trust similar function can also be conducted in Hong Kong.
Nancy
From 11 July to 15 July this year, I have joined the Zi Teng delegation to attend a seminar on AIDS in Thailand. The seminar was held once for four years. During the meeting, we were very busy everyday. We needed to get up very early to wash up. However there was no hot water for shower and no warm water to drink. I was not used to that. After that, we went to the venue arranged by the organizer. We could only go back to the hotel very late after finishing all the programs. Since there were not enough chairs in the venue, we had to stand through the meeting everyday. Besides, the air-conditioning at the venue was too strong. We had to bring along our jacket all the time. One night, we went back to the hotel at 3 am in the morning. At that night, the organizer arranged us to participate in a party at the red night district. Everyone enjoyed the party very much.
We also participated at the Thailand AIDS concern rally. We marched with many students, sex workers from local area and foreign countries. We held play cards and flags while shouting slogan in Thai and English. Our slogan was “Sex Work is Work”. The rally had attracted many local citizens. The organizer arranged many performances everyday, such as, singing and dances by the students, cultural dance from the indigenous people, steel tube dance and different performances by Thai female and male sex workers. Two sex workers from Australia told us how the politicians exploited sex workers to gain support in every election. They also performed how sex workers could enjoy their work. Zi Teng also had three performances. The first one told the audience how we refused customers who requested not to use condom no matter how much money they offered. The second one broke the myth of using two condoms for more safety. It was because the condoms were easier to be broken when they rubbed each other. The third one was a role-play of a couple who wanted to have more excitement by not using condom. We finally told that it was very risky. Our performance also attracted many people. After all the performances, the sex workers who had performed in the steel tube dance invited us for dinner.
In the venue, there were many Thai traditional clothes and snacks for sale. Such as sweets, dry meat, egg roll, drinks, rice box, bakery and handicraft. The organizer also distributed gifts, badges, bags, T-shirt, snacks and rice boxes to participants.
The venue of the seminar was very big. The participants of the seminar were people who concerned about AIDS from all over the world. As we did not have any sponsorship and our fund was very limited, yet the pass of the seminar cost HKD$ 7000, so Zi Teng could not afford to buy the passes, we only went to the sections that were free of charge. For those sections that had limited entrance, we had to borrow passes from other sex workers. Since we could only have very few passes, we had to go into the section one after the other. There were many security guards to check our passes. We were very anxious all the time. Luckily the security guard did not discover us.
In this seminar, we learned the situation of sex workers from other countries. Such as the situation in Malaysia and Sudan, the sex workers there had to work underground. If the police found them out, the sex workers might risk arrest or even be beaten up to death in some cases. Therefore, in some of the countries, they did not even have any statistics of sex workers. I felt the Thai female and male sex workers were very friendly and very united. I also deeply felt that being a sex worker, we have to face a lot of suppression no matter in which country.
Ah Bao
I have never attended overseas conference before, but I have my first time because of Zi Teng. With no doubt, the conference in Thailand is a valuable experience for a volunteer like me, since I can meet sex workers worldwide, and I have the chance to understand the cultures and policies in different places which have broadened my horizon.
I am especially impressed by the sex workers conference. Through that, I understand the problems female sex workers face in different parts of the world and it seems to me that suppression from police over sex workers and discrimination against them exist all over the world. These are the reasons which hinder them from utilizing the rights they have, like seeking for medical or legal assistance. Sex workers will be further marginalized if this vicious cycle continues, and in an even weaker position. From the example of the other countries, it is clear that this is a long-term struggle and only with the insistence effort of the public, sex workers can live in a justice society.
Ah Yan
This was the first time I took part in an international conference, and also the first time to have such a close contact with sex workers, though I participated in 2 regional activities organized by Zi Teng before. 3 sex workers joined the trip with me and all of them were friendly, talkative and funny. Besides attending the conference with them, I slept next to one of them at night! Through such a close contact with them, I discovered more about their lives, problems, thoughts and the feeling was wonderful. Thanks them a lot for sharing with us their stories and opinions, so that we could have a great lap forward in understanding them.
During the trip, the thing I treasured the most was the opportunity to meet the sex workers from other countries. From the conversation between the sex workers from Hong Kong and other countries, it was not difficult to find that they had the same problems, like the disturbance of police force. I believe that different places have different pace in fighting the rights for the sex workers, but all are valuable references to others. A Japanese sex worker was the unforgettable person to me because she took one-month leave from school in order to attend the conference. The more I talked to her, the more I understood her insistence for her own rights, and I truly admired her.
How to Minimize the Risk of Sex Workers for Sexually Transmitted Diseases
--Professor Ng Man-lun(Hong Kong Sex Education Association)
Generally the percentage of women infected by sexually transmitted diseases (STD) is lower than that of men. That women have fewer sex partners than men can be a reason. Although female sex workers have frequent sexual contacts with their clients, given their relatively high awareness in health protection, and incentives to receive medical check-up, it is known that their chances of getting STD is not much higher than that of women in general.
Yet, the picture is not as optimistic as it looks. After the discovery of AIDS, the promotion for safer sex has led to a decline in the number of males infected by STDs. The infection rate for women however has been on the increase. In the US in 1984, women made up only 6% of all HIV patients. The figure rose to 19% in 1995. Along with this rise was the sharp increase in the number of women got infected with AIDS through sexual intercourses. This group of HIV patients has outnumbered those who get infected through drug abuse and has become the largest portion. Now AIDS is the third major cause of death for middle-age women in the US (the other two causes being cancer and accidents). The situation is worrying. It shows that there are problems for women, including sex workers, having safe sex with partners. We need to work out solutions targeted to these problems.
Today, the most reliable and common measure to ensure safe sex remains to be the male condom. Women are passive and could only implore their sex partners to wear it. If the male refuses, the woman could only run the risk of damaging the relationship with her partner if she insists, and a sex worker might have to give up her deal with the client. Women are totally helpless in such situations. As regards the female condom produced in recent years, due to the lack of publicity, it is not easily accessible in the market and its price is much higher than that of the male condoms. More publicity for this new product is needed. It is true that the female condom helps women to regain a certain degree of autonomy in sex, but not much, because males might force their female partners not to use condoms. Another possible safety measure is for the woman to smear STD antiseptics onto the vagina. If the smear is without color and smell, the woman could be protected without the need for male consent. However, since after non-oxynol-9 has been proved to be ineffective, no new STD antiseptics is yet available and no breakthrough is expected to be forthcoming until 2010.
Apart from providing a better preventive measure for women, we need to address a more fundamental question, the social perception of sex and gender, in which there are still many misconceptions. For example, many still believe that if it is not for contraception, only those who are promiscuous and “immoral” would use condoms or request the partners to do so. It is therefore thought that those “immoral women” (including sex workers) deserve to get infected by HIV. Other related misconceptions include: condoms would minimize the enjoyment of sex or wearing condoms means a lack of confidence in your partners. With these public misconceptions, safe sex for women would remain difficult. It must be realized also that the power relationship between two sexes, defining clearly what can or cannot be done in sex, is the ultimate decisive factor. More options for safe sex would not make a difference, if the power of the women in general is not strengthened; if the women remain subordinate to men emotionally, financially, and socially; if the rights of sex workers continue to be suppressed; if sex industry is not respected and recognized and sex workers are still vulnerable in making any negotiation with their clients.
To ensure safe sex for women therefore, we need to improve the bargaining power of women. At the personal level, skills of communication and negotiation are necessary (in western countries, this type of skill training is beginning to be offered in classes on safe sex for women). At the societal level, advanced sex education and an improvement in the rights for women and sex workers are required.
Morality VS Practicability
AIDS Concern
Since 1997, AIDS Concern has been initiating outreach services in sex industry,
targeting at sex workers and their clients. Given the diversity of sex
industry and limited resources, we have centralized our outreach service
from various
districts to Mongkok only, with the aim to encouraging sex service providers
to support the work of AIDS prevention, and to become the role models for
the entire industry. The outreach services include the promotion of proper
use
of condoms to sex workers and their clients in preventing AIDS and other
sexually transmitted diseases. This 3-year project is sponsored by The
AIDS Trust Fund
and is divided into 4 core parts:
1. Brothels Safe Project
This project aims at creating and promoting a safe and healthy working environment in brothels and massage centers. The 20 recruited brothels have to promise to: 1) provide free condoms; 2) provide water-soluble lubricants; 3) provide disinfected towels and manage all used towels properly; 4) change bed linens and clean floor everyday; 5) let staff receive training provided by AIDS Concern regarding prevention of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Also, AIDS Concern would present certificates to recruited brothels to demonstrate the safety message.
2. Workshop for Sex Workers and Staff of Brothels
The workshops are designed for sex workers, staff of brothels and massage centers with topics including sex health, safe sex, proper use of condom, and skills used to bargain with clients for having safe sex in a deal.
3. Outreach Services
Outreach services include visit to brothels and massage centers. These services help enhance our understanding about sex industry, and build up good relationship with related parties. Besides, we set up information counter in Mongkok, answering enquiries from sex service consumers concerning safe sex. Kits and brochures on safe sex are distributed during outreach services.
4. Production and Distribution of AIDS Prevention Information, Safe Sex Kits and Sex Health Information
We have especially designed a set of brochures and safe sex kits for sex workers and their clients. In order to better attract readers, the topics of the brochures are set with reference to the local culture and written according to their daily dialogues.
Through the internal controversy occurred during the recruitment of brothels in the Brothel Safe Project and the process of handling complaints from the public against our brochures targeting at customers of sex services, this article aims to discuss the future of promoting AIDS prevention work in the sex industry.
Echo and Reflection of the Outreach Services
Encouraging clients to participate in the prevention work
‘AIDS Concern’s outreach services have been carried out in Mongkok for several
years, and close working relation has been built up between us and the sex
workers, their clients, and staff of the brothels. Grounded on the good relationship,
we have attempted to invite sex workers’ clients to participate more, and
discuss more about the prevention of AIDS in order to raise their consciousness
about safe sex; hence leading to the Brothels Safe Project. Under the project,
the participating brothels have undertaken to provide a healthy environment
for sex workers and their clients. Their participations are no longer passive
in a way merely to receiving the brochures and condoms provided by the AIDS
Concern, but have begun to play an active role.
The project was carried out in April last year, and we wish that the message of safe sex and prevention of AIDS and other sexually transmitted disease could be reinforced, since active participation of the sex industry is the only efficient way to prevent AIDS. However, many staff of the brothels are not willing to participate in the project because they are unwilling to see the word ‘AIDS’ on the certificate and they don’t want to take any legal responsibilities. It is very promising that we have recruited 20 brothels successfully in just one-year’s time.
While the above project is quite successful and will be continued in the next two years, it has indeed invited a number of debates. Some people think that issuing certificates to brothels would mean a recognition of the place providing sex services and indirectly promoting the sex industry that will have negative impact on the society. No doubt this is a remark based on moral consideration. People who support the project agree that by adopting a more open attitude in promoting safe sex and AIDS education would enable us to get in touch with the most needy people, educating the latter more on AIDS and the consequences of high-risk sexual activities, and in turn achieve our ultimate objective to reducing the risk of infecting AIDS by the disadvantaged minority and their threats to the public.
Clients-oriented education materials
At the same time, ‘AIDS Concern’ produced the brochures named “Fun for Finding Sisters搵食扑扑趣’’. The design of the brochure imitates that of pornography which reminds the customers to prevent sexually transmitted disease and to have safe sex. We distribute the brochures at the enquiry stations and keep copies at the brothels for distribution to the clients. Soon after the distribution of the brochures, we have received feedback from different sectors of the society. The staff of the brothels have told us that the clients response is generally positive and they have asked for more brochures. On the other hand, we have received complaints from the public and are pressured to stop publishing the brochures for some time. The viewpoints of the complaints are nothing new, but mainly concerned about its bringing negative impacts towards the society, encouraging prostitution and wasting public funds. They have challenged us again after the Brothels Safe Project and we consider it another suitable time for us to reflect on our work.
AIDS Concern appreciates the public fear that our work would bring negative impacts on the society. However, we have a clear and definite conviction; and that is to prevent the spread of AIDS and to help with the building of a more tolerant society. To implement our conviction, promoting public health is our first and foremost mission.
Some documents on prevention of AIDS state that in the area with low spreading rate of AIDS, resources for efficient AIDS prevention measures should be concentrated and deployed for serving the disadvantaged minority, particularly in places where risky sexual activities are likely to take place. The main objectives of the outreach services are to help sex workers and their clients whom are being discriminated in Hong Kong. Their needs and difficulties are rarely taken care of, and they receive little assistance. Brothels have become a centralized area for breeding risky sexual activities that have posed threats to the health of the public. If we combat the sex industry or deny the existence of such a social phenomena simply because of the fear that it will have negative impacts on the society, we are just like putting the cart in front of the horse and denying the instinctive sexual desire of human beings and stakes in public health. AIDS Concern has a firm belief that the needs of the clients we are serving are always in the first priority in our service planning, while whether the problem is moral or not is not our prime consideration. One who is sexually active is not a crime and should not be condemned by the society. Honestly, we do not deem it necessary to either increase or reduce the frequency of sexual activities nor sex services. It is only a matter of safety.
Our work is not generally accepted by the public and people always like to adopt moral standards to measure the quality of our service. The results of this kind would never reflect the opinions of the service receivers. The implication is, even if our service can fulfill the needs of our target groups, it is difficult for us to popularize the project and receive funding as easily as other mainstream social service organizations do. The above limitations have affected us in providing more effective services on AIDS prevention.
Orientation of our service: Face it instead of Escaping from it
So, what is the position of AIDS Concern in social service? Although the project is not meeting the moral standards of the general public, an open mode for our service enables us to respond to the needs of the service clients. On the other hand, banning the brothels or prohibiting people from visiting brothels are just ways that escape from the reality. Neither ways would curb the ‘immoral’ risky sexual activities nor serve our original purpose of preventing AIDS. All in all, we consider our work “moral” because ultimately, the welfare of the general public is enhanced with the control of the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Conclusion
Sex workers and their clients are the disadvantaged minority groups that are easily infected with AIDS, and they receive little assistance. Despite pressure from the society, AIDS Concern will persist to provide service for them in order to prevent AIDS effectively. We hope that the public can know more and participate more in our campaign, and put aside their moral judgment on the sex industry, and even take up the responsibility to spread the message of safe sex and prevention of AIDS and other sexually transmitted disease.
Hong Kong AIDS Foundations
Hong Kong AIDS Foundations, believing that education is one of the important ways to prevent the spread of AIDS, always cares about the needs of providing education on AIDS prevention in the society. It has tried its best to apply the knowledge about AIDS and promotional skills to the whole society. Zi Teng has been working on the “Scheme of AIDS education and prevention for sex workers and their customers” since 2003, targeting for female sex workers and their customers. We have designed the contents of AIDS-prevention campaign from different perspectives tailored made for different needs of sex workers and their customers. Although some people think that the most direct way to tackle the AIDS problems associated with sex workers is to eliminate the whole sex industry, from a more positive point of view, the most practical preventive measure is to give sex workers opportunities to receive education, care, respect, and acceptance..
The scheme is jointly implemented by the Hong Kong AIDS Foundations and Zi Teng. Under the scheme, female sex workers and other volunteers are trained to become peer ambassadors. They visit and distribute educational materials in different districts regularly. The educational materials include health knowledge about one’s physical, mental and sexual well-being, so that sex workers will be able to prevent the infection of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases effectively. Sometimes, we receive comments from the sex workers on the designs and productions of our educational materials. We have also organized training classes on stress management and skin care, helping female sex workers to learn how to relax and enable them to broaden the social network.
In fact, after the implementation of the scheme for more than a year, we have contacted almost 2000 female sex workers. We have realized that many female sex workers have to struggle between earning a living and putting their personal safety at risk. For example, some customers persuade the female sex workers not to use condoms by giving them more service charge. In so doing, the customers may receive extra excitement, but will definitely put female sex workers at a greater risk of infecting AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases.
I can still remember the 15th International AIDS Conference, where many organizations which represented female sex workers walked confidently to the main corridor of the hall, demanding the respect from the audience and the general public. This shocking scene revealed to us that the war against AIDS is hard and the determination to fight off the disease requires the contribution of every one of us. Your support is a recognition of our efforts and we wish you stay with us, cheer for yourself!
Shah
Is AIDS a punishment from God?
We may hear a clich? from moralists that “AIDS punishes people who are promiscuous and who indulge in sex”. Someone accepts this clich? without doubts. Some give no response. Some feel offended. No matter what feelings, such as grief, anger, and sigh, we have, it is too simplified to use this judgmental phrase to describe the social phenomenon (e.g. changing partners frequently) and living habits (pre-marital sex). Even a single-minded person would have the opportunity of contracting AIDS. Right?
Few people consider venereal disease and gonorrhea a God’s punishment. There are cures for these diseases. These diseases are transmitted mainly through sexual behavior, although there are allegations that people get infected with the disease from the food on which a chef has put some semen. Unlike AIDS, these diseases will generate notable symptoms. AIDS is incubated for a long period, and will infect AIDS patients’ offspring. For examples, there are cases that patients having chronic disease are infected in the course of blood transfusion. People living in poor health conditions get infected by sharing used needles. AIDS will only affect those who are promiscuous and indulge in sex. Given its long incubation time and implicit symptoms, its spread has a wider scope, as compared with other sex diseases.
TV ads remind people of wearing condoms to prevent AIDS infection. Even kids know this truth. What if a condom that cost only a few dollars can minimize the risk of infecting AIDS, then whom does AIDS intend to punish? Those people living in the third world who cannot afford using condoms? Those who realize the danger but ignore it? Those who are lack of the knowledge of using condoms? Does God intend to create AIDS to punish those are penniless and ignorant, and let the rich who know using condoms to be immune from it?
What the discovery of AIDS tells me is the degree of respect we have to give to sex, a ritual full of mystery and power. There are numerous ways of social interaction. Shaking hands with other people is a social manner for us to get the flu easily. We however will not refuse to shake hands any more to prevent the infection of flu. We’d rather take care of our personal hygiene like washing hands after going to toilets, keeping distance with others and avoiding dining together once catching a cold. We will not sacrifice this intimate way of social interaction because of the fear about infecting any disease. Sex is the highest form of intimacy between people. We have to treasure it. Let’s do something about personal habits.
Diseases do not have free wills. It is strange to impose a moralistic label on a disease, urging it to carry a moral mission. If AIDS is considered as a punishment from God, we would rather say that AIDS is an act of devils to create an invisible gap caused by fear between people. The gap makes us feel suspicious of other people, not dare to love and be afraid of enjoying sex.
If you were a sex worker, would you compromise with your customers over having safe sex in order to please the latter? It is selfish for men to ask sex workers treating them like boyfriends and not taking any safe sex precautionary measures. We have to get rid of this thinking today. If a man wants a sex worker to be his girlfriend, make an effort to seek after her. Money can “buy” her affection but not the way she treats you. We have to count on the support of sex workers to educate their customers to use condoms. In so doing, we can then remove the suspicion over AIDS and get ourselves committed to making love. Once sex workers could enjoy the process of making love, they will no longer be selling their bodies, but their time to teach others enjoy safe sex.
Work Report (January – September 2004)
Conference / Press Conference
February
- Held press conference, march and meeting with Legislative Councilors to tackle the problem of “undercover cops receiving a free blowjob before they set to arrest the sex workers”
May
International Sex Workers Conference
- 12 representatives from different sex workers organizations and related parties participated in the conference. They came from America, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Taiwan and Mainland China.
- Programs include:
- Exchange of experience in striving for legal amendments and organizing sex workers union
- 1st May March
- Out in the Sun – Legal Constraints and Possibilities in Protecting the Rights of Sex Workers
- Visit to local sex workers
The 15th International AIDS Conference
- 3 sex workers and 2 volunteers participated in the conference. They performed drama and joined the workshop during the conference.
- Exhibited photos of the sex workers photo exhibition.
Sex Worker Photo Exhibition
January / February / March
- Held the first sex worker photo exhibition in Hong Kong Cultural Center, Shanghai Street Artspace Exhibition Hall and Art Center in January, February and March respectively. A sharing session was also taken place in February in Shanghai Street Artspace Exhibition Hall. The feedback from the public was good.
July
- Co-operated with “Tong 3 Lau唐三樓(CAF?)”, held photo exhibition and sharing session.
Volunteer Training
February
- Co-organized volunteer training session with The Chinese University of Hong Kong and recruited 20 participants.
- Organized volunteer training session and recruited 18 participants.
June
- Co-organized volunteer training session with The AIDS Foundation, participants include sex workers, female workers students as well as other parties.
July
- Started volunteer training session and visit to sex workers in Macau.
Workshop / Talk
June
Sex VS Love Workshop
- Discussion of questions related to sex. Students were the main participants.
July
Talk
- City University of Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui
- Methodist Center
- The University of Hong Kong
August
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Department of Applied Social Science
- Hong Kong Christian Service
- Hong Kong Youth Association
- St James’ Settlement
Other Activities
February
Street Drama
- Performed street drama in Temple Street and promoted safe sex. The feedback from public was good.
September
- Set up counter in the Volunteer Festival organized by The Chinese University of Hong Kong and showed pictures of sex workers photo exhibition.
Visitors
July
- NOVIB
- CCFD
Samaritan Girl (Samaria)
Dir/Scr:KIM Ki-duk
Cast: SEO Min-jung, KWAK Ji-min, LEE Uhl
Country: South Korea
Year: 2004
Yeo-jin is a high school hooker haunted by an Indian tale about a woman who converts men to Buddhism by selling her body. When her attempt to create Nirvana on earth in the brothel bed backfires, her “pimp” and best friend Jae-young takes up her cause. Tracking down Yeo-jin’s clients one by one, Jae-young services, then pays them. However, when her father finds out, he takes drastic actions with violent consequences…
-Cited from the program of the 28th Hong Kong International Film Festival
List of Donors (January – August 2004)
|
2004年 |
|||||
|
1月 |
湯泳詩 |
$1,000 |
4月 |
Chen Wai Ching |
$100 |
|
Ann |
$1,000 |
Ling |
$1,000 |
||
|
無名氏 |
$200 |
李維新 |
$1,000 |
||
|
2月 |
陳永佳 |
$2,000 |
5月 |
燥音 |
$1,000 |
|
無名氏 |
$1,500 |
6月 |
莉莉 |
$40 |
|
|
郭林、無名氏 |
$10,400 |
藝術地圖 |
$60 |
||
|
古烈治 |
$1,000 |
李維新 |
$1,000 |
||
|
3月 |
台灣中央性別研究所 |
$120 |
7月 |
芳子 |
$1,000 |
|
李維新 |
$1,000 |
8月 |
(义包)、無名氏 |
$260 |
|
|
黃月媚 |
400 |
李維新 |
$1,000 |
||
|
胡露茜 |
1,000 |
||||
Special Thanks To:
Editing: Olive
Translation: Mr. Chan Yu Cheong, Mr. Chan Wing Kai, Miss Mable Au, Christine
