Executive Summary
Rationale Since the beginning of the epidemic sex workers have experienced a heightened burden of HIV. Unfortunately, sex workers’ HIV and health-related risks and rights have often gone unattended and global resource allocation related to HIV prevention, treatment and care has not been based on rigorous analysis in terms of the evidence related to sex work and HIV.
Objectives To inform an equitable, effective, and sustainable response to HIV which promotes and protects the human rights of sex workers, the following questions were addressed in this analysis, focusing largely on female sex workers from lower and middle income countries: • What is the global burden of HIV among sex workers? How do sex worker HIV burdens compare to the general population? How does this vary by region? • How does the policy and social context shape sex workers’ HIV risk across geographic settings? How does this context influence the provision and coverage of HIV services?
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