'Sex Trade Curbs Bill Will Increase Violence and HIV/AIDS: DG, NACO

[Guest guest]

'Sex Trade Curbs in India Will Increase Violence, Exploitation and HIV/AIDS

Rate'

A top HIV/AIDS Indian official and a Cabinet minister on Monday strongly

criticized the Central government’s plan to punish clients visiting sex

workers in a move to curb prostitution. The Bill to amend the Immoral

Trafficking (Prevention) Act (ITPA) was moved in Parliament in 2006 by the

Ministry of Women and Child Development headed by Renuka Chowdhury.

Director general of National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) K Sujatha Rao and

Labor and Employment minister Fernandes said the amendments proposing to

put clients of sex workers behind bars and imposing a fine of up to Rs 50,000

for those visiting brothels, would in no way curb the sex trade but only push it

underground. That, in turn would make it more difficult to track down sex

workers, who are most vulnerable to contracting the HIV/AIDS virus.

A recent report by the world's first independent commission on AIDS in

Asia-Pacific, headed by the Indian PM's chief economic advisory C Rangarajan,

shows that the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Asia is mainly fuelled by men who go for

paid sex. According to the report 75 million men in Asia visit sex workers, 10

million women sell sex to these men.

On the day Rangarajan submitted the report, I had called for legalizing sex

trade, Union minister Fernandes said.

According to Union minister Fernandes sex trade could never be curbed and would

remain till humanity existed. He said he proposed to meet Prime Minister

Manmohan Singh soon and discuss a balanced approach to the issue. Fernandes

added: " Even the Bible makes a reference to sex trade. Reforming society will be

the best approach rather than trying to curb the sex trade.

http://www.medindia.com/news/Sex-Trade-Curbs-in-India-Will-Increase-Violence-Exp\

loitation-and-HIVAIDS-Rate-39888-1.htm