Protest letter to UNAIDS on US influce on AIDS Policies

[Guest guest]

To:

Persons Concerned,

UNAIDS Head Office,

Geneva, Switzerland

Dear Madams/Sirs,

We are writing to express our strong belief that UNAIDS must reject the

US-required limitations on funding use.

It is reprehensible that prevention of HIV would be limited to organizations

that take a stance prohibiting prostitution, alienating some of the strongest

groups working with sex workers. Sex worker groups and organisations are

integral to effective prevention efforts with sex workers, their clients, and

their families. We further wish to bring to notice the following:

(a) Victimising sex workers and further marginalizing them is pejorative in

practice and will neither help individual sex workers in exercising her (and

his) agency in enforcing safer sex practices, nor help HIV prevention

programmes.

( Global learning on HIV/AIDS interventions in India and elsewhere has proved

that community mobilisation is the key strategy that succeeds for effective

interventions among sex worker populations. There cannot be any community

mobilisation by stigmatising sex workers and sex work through enactment of laws,

policies or strictures that essentially force sex workers underground and make

them inaccessible to HIV/AIDS prevention activities - putting them beyond the

pale of quality STI/HIV/AIDS programmes and condom promotion services.

©Additionally, it seems that US funding will not be allowed for needle

exchange programmes, a strategy which is proven to prevent HIV.

This US policy is counter to all public health data. Condoms are the only

effective prevention technology available to sexually active people and must be

emphasized in every HIV prevention effort. The US promotes a model based on

abstinence, fidelity and lastly, condom use. However, in places where HIV

prevalence is extremely high, fidelity is no preventive for HIV. Safe sex goes

far beyond ABC and requires a comprehensive approach including full information

about all ways to prevent HIV. For these reasons, it is imperative that UNAIDS

reject the US funding restrictions.

Sincerely,

Swapna Gayen

Secretary

Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee

E-mail: <sonagachi@...>