2. Prevention must also be aimed at clients

Many sex workers who took part in the study would like to see the introduction of measures aimed at their clients. This does not mean criminal measures, as these make their work more difficult and threaten their livelihood. What they propose are targeted prevention measures for customers, as well as a participatory and far-reaching educational campaign aimed at the majority of society. The aim of these measures should be to sensitize customers in their dealings with sex workers and for fair use of sexual services.

Particular attention should be taken to ensure that neither sex workers nor clients are stigmatized by the campaigns and programs – as this could lead to rejection and thus to poorer acceptance and implementation. The study participants addressed four aspects that clients should be sensitized with:

  1. Respect: As service providers, sex workers deserve to be treated with respect. Clients must accept the sex workers’ conditions and abide by the agreed rules. No means no!
  2. Fair prices: The downplaying of prices has far-reaching negative effects on sex workers. Sexual services must be paid fairly.
  3. Condom use: Clients must accept the conditions of sex workers regarding the use of condoms.
  4. HIV/STI education and testing: Not only sex workers but also their clients should be educated on sexually transmitted infections and they should be offered low-threshold, stigma-free and voluntary testing.