MERETÄHT-Seastar II
HIV/STD Prevention Among Sex Workers
Financed by Family Health International
1 April 2002 - 31 March 2003
AIDS Information and Support Center
Kopli 32, 10412 Tallinn ESTONIA
tugikeskus@hotmail.com
Goal, Strategies and Activities
Goal
Prevention of HIV/STI among sex workers, reducing the number of STDs
among sex
workers in Tallinn, increasing the level of safer sex knowledge.
Strategies
Voluntary testing on HIV/STD, treatment of STD, distribution of condoms
and lubricants; peer education of sex workers; consultations; informal
everyday services for sex workers; outreach work; work with mass-media
Activities
Confidential, anonymous, culturally and linquistically appropriat services
for sex workers:
Voluntary testing on
HIV/STD: pre- and post consulting, treatment of STD, referrals to other service
providers - both governmental and NGOs.
Consultations: medical
advice, legal consultations, psychological consultation, consultation on
reproductive health, appointments as necessary with venerologist, gynecologist,
therapeutist, narcologist.
Safer sex promotion:
Distribution of special literature on safer sex, condoms and lubricants,
safer sex education, promotion the use of safer sex techniques in prostitution.
Everyday services: drop-in
services (wash clothes, get coffee/snacks, have a shower)
Peer education of sex
workers: self-help groups, identification of possible peer educators, trainings
for peer educators, peer education events on base of drop-in center.
Outreach work
Work with mass media:
articles, TV, radio interviews for reducing of the level of stigmatization
of sex workers in society and increase awareness about sex work issue.
Work with others service
providers and governmental structures: for creation of the strong commitment
for promotion of prostitution policies based on principle of treating sex
workers with dignity, respect and confidentiality and to promote their
health, safety and civil rights, providing culturally and linguistically
appropriated services. To identify social and health service providers
and to make services available, appropriate and accessible to sex workers.
Referrals to anti-trafficking project STOP II (AIDS Information & Support
Centre), governmental STD clinic, Methadone treatment program, needle exchange
and rehabilitation centre (AIDS Information & Support Centre), Institute
of Human Rights (NGO) if needed.
Intervention campaigns
in other cities Narva and Parnu: informational campaign, dissemination of
condoms, lubricants, stickers, leaflets for sex workers and clients in Narva
- city of original of nearly 35% of sex workers and Parnu - resort and very
popular transfer place of sex workers in summer times.
Changing experience:
visit of project leader to Prague, visit NGO R-R , specialised on work with
sex workers (shelter, mobile car unit for testing, social assistance, drop-in
centre), centre for child prostitution, LIGHTHOUSE - 24h services house
for HIV positive persons, incl. sex workers. To find finances for participation
in this visit other project workers: doctor and medical nurs
Monitoring and Evaluation Plan
Monitoring
Regular information (on monthly basis) will be collected the about number
of project visitors, their location, time of involvment in the sex business,
age, nationality, educational background, condom use, alcohol, drug and
tobacco use etc. For monitoring the use of services and to better understand
the needs sex workers, a questionnaire will be administered in two phases:
mid-way through project implementation and at the end of the project.
At the end of the year comparative statistic data about age, education,
ways of involvement , sex work conditions (violence, sexual abuse questions),
drug use, alcohol use, condom use, location etc of the women in sex business
will be collected and analysed.
Also the epidemiological data concerning HIV, STD will be collected
and analysed, comparing first and multiplyed visits (influence of safer
sex education, condoms use)
The project should will be supervised by Dr Nelli Kalikova from AIDS
Prevention Center and Dr Tatjana Kurova from GENDERS center from Riga. Activities
with trafficked women can be coordinated by Kvinnoforum from Sweden.
Project team together with involved volunteers and specialists come
together once in a 2 month to discuss about development of the project
and possible correction of the activities.
Evaluation
Health care delivery and management of support system for sex workers
will have been integrated within the services offered by existing NGO-s
and governmental institutions; A network of social and health services which
provide sex workers with non-discriminatory health promotion programs will
have been created; - the number of referrals.
The risk of HIV/STD infection among sex workers in Tallinn will have
been reduced. The level of STD-s among sex workers, especially after safer
sex education and multiply visits to focal point will be decreased. - results
of testing and treatment among first time and multiple visits.
New and innovative instruments for health promotion activities for sex
workers (adequate information, drop-in center, outreach work, peer education,
community based organizations with direct involvement of sex workers) will
have been created - results of the questionnaire, including condom and lubricants
use, increasing number of service users during the year.
The awareness and information about trafficking and possible risk of
working abroad will be increased considerably.
Responsible Project workers:
Irina Mironova - outreach worker, medical nurse, 3 years working in
Meretaht-Seastar I, project leader of Harm reduction Project among Sex
Workers IDU-s
Lidia Rozuman - outreach worker, medical nurse,, 3 years working in
Meretaht-Seastar I, 1 year in Harm reduction Project among Sex Workers
IDU-s
Liivi Melesko - doctor, therapist, 3 years working in Meretaht-Seastar
I, 1 year in Harm reduction Project among Sex Workers IDU-s
Toomas Vessin - doctor, dermatologist-venerologist, 3 years working
in Meretaht-Seastar I, 1 year in Harm reduction Project among Sex Workers
IDU-s
Scientific Advisor:
Nelli Kalikova, doctor, epidemiologist, Director of AIDS Prevention
Center
Project concept developed in partnership between:
GO AIDS Prevention Center
NGO AIDS Information and Support center