International Centre for Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, Ghent 9000, Belgium.
Global Health. 2010 Feb 11;6:1. doi: 10.1186/1744-8603-6-1.
Sex work is receiving increased attention in southern Africa. In the context of South Africa's intense preparation for hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup, anxiety over HIV transmission in the context of sex work has sparked debate on the most appropriate legal response to this industry.
Drawing on existing literature, the authors highlight the increased vulnerability of sex workers in the context of the HIV pandemic in southern Africa. They argue that laws that criminalise sex work not only compound sex workers' individual risk for HIV, but also compromise broader public health goals. International sporting events are thought to increase demand for paid sex and, particularly in countries with hyper-endemic HIV such as South Africa, likely to foster increased HIV transmission through unprotected sex.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup presents a strategic opportunity for South Africa to respond to the challenges that the sex industry poses in a strategic and rights-based manner. Public health goals and growing evidence on HIV prevention suggest that sex work is best approached in a context where it is decriminalised and where sex workers are empowered. In short, the authors argue for a moratorium on the enforcement of laws that persecute and victimise sex workers during the World Cup period.
性工作在南部非洲正受到越来越多的关注。在南非为举办 2010 年国际足联世界杯做紧张准备的背景下，人们对性工作中艾滋病毒传播的担忧引发了对该行业最合适的法律应对措施的辩论。
作者利用现有文献，强调了在南部非洲艾滋病毒大流行的背景下性工作者日益脆弱的处境。他们认为，将性工作定罪的法律不仅使性工作者个人感染艾滋病毒的风险更加复杂，而且还损害了更广泛的公共卫生目标。国际体育赛事被认为会增加对有偿性服务的需求，而在像南非这样艾滋病毒高度流行的国家，这可能会通过无保护的性行为增加艾滋病毒的传播。
2010 年国际足联世界杯为南非提供了一个战略性的机会，以战略和基于权利的方式应对性产业带来的挑战。公共卫生目标和越来越多的艾滋病毒预防证据表明，最好在性工作非刑事化和赋予性工作者权力的情况下处理性工作。简而言之，作者主张在世界杯期间暂停执行迫害和伤害性工作者的法律。
