Police must be trusted

The police must improve their attitude towards prostitutes if a solution is to be found to the widespread sexual violence in the industry, the survey released on Wednesday by the AIDS Prevention & Control Commission stresses.
“Currently sex workers lack the basic trust towards the police – this has resulted in barriers to convince the sex workers to report violent crimes,” the report findings add. “We recommend the police to review and pay attention to their communication skills and activities towards sex workers, particularly street walkers.”
Violent crimes “affect not only the health and safety of sex workers, but also the international reputation of Macau,” researchers Susanne Choi Yuk Ping and Vicky Lei Wai Kei warned.
And it is no longer just mainland Chinese who use the services of sex workers in Macau.
The report calls on authorities to translate educational materials on HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and sexually transmitted diseases (STD) to be translated into other major languages, including Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and Russian.
In addition, these materials should be made freely available to visitors at the major entry ports and customs desks. Educational pamphlets and flyers could also reach local hotels where the sex workers “conduct their businesses”.
“Based on our outreach experience and contact with owners of many of these hotels, we believe that it is possible to obtain the cooperation of these hotel owners,” the researchers wrote.
Every woman working under an ‘entertainer’ contract must undertake a compulsory check-up every three months. “Information delivered in their mother language should be distributed to them during every visit” to a public health centre.
Sex workers are “an extremely marginalised group,” the report bemoans. “Being outsiders, and despite their great need, they have very limited access to medical care,” it adds. The researchers recommend that regular free STD and HIV on-site tests be offered.
“The warm reception we received from most Chinese streetwalkers and their enthusiasm for free on-site syphilis and HIV testing and counselling suggests that the demand for this service is great and is of invaluable assistance in the gathering of public health information,” they wrote.

V.Q.