Nagpur: With city police carrying commercial sex activities to stop in the red light Ganga Jamuna area, experts involved in HIV prevention and awareness work have expressed concern for their sustainable projects and the hazards produced.
Considering the possibility of sex workers shifting elsewhere for livelihoods, experts worry that prevention work will apply to a throw that leads to the spread of the feared human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) uncontrollable.
Some NGOs, including the Red Cross Society Indian (IRCS), are now planning to write to the commissioner of collectors and divisions draw their attention to this danger.
Dr.
Milind Bhrushundi, an HIV expert who is also part of various health committees and task forces under the district government, said the intervention targeted by the Awareness campaigners from NGOs such as IRCS for HIV prevention would experience adverse results.
“It’s much easier to focus on prevention of HIV with brothel-based sex workers left in the red light area, where such a concentrated population can be attended.
So far it shows positive results,” said Dr.
Bhrushundi.
Dr.
Bhrushundi said if a brothel based population mingled with a population floating outside, there would be no monitoring or control over HIV.
Prostitution prohibitions in the red light area are not only thrown around 2,500-3,000 women from their livelihoods, but also bring another predicted period in the future.
Intervention projects targeted on HIV infection, which were once carried out in brothels and Ganga Jamuna customers and customers by IRC, were also almost expelled from the teeth.
In accordance with data with IRC, around 150 women have tested HIV positive from Ganga Jamuna between 2009 and 2014.
HIV prevalence is drastically reduced by IRC intervention, which has distributed condoms, and around 64 people undergo antiretroviral therapy with mentoring.
There are only two cases of HIV between April 2020 and March 2021, Informed IRCS Project Manager Hemlata Lohave.
“This year too, we have found two cases of HIV until July,” Lohave said, adding his goal was to take it to zero.
“If these brothel-based sex workers leave the red light area and shift to another place, we don’t know how to protect them or others from HIV,” he said.
Lohave, an IRCS employee, said 3.55 Lakh condoms were distributed among sex workers between April 2020 and March 2021 and 2.10 other lakh condoms until July this year since April.
“That’s because our awareness program about HIV and Covid guidelines, the spread of the two viruses was prevented,” he said.