Mission People working in prostitution
Characteristics : people mainly from Eastern Europe, Sub-Saharn Africa and China, either holding tourist visas, applying for asylum or staying illegally, sometimes the victims of trafficking.
Sex, age : mainly 20 to 40 year old women, transgendered people, men and sometimes minors
Main conditions : gynaecology conditions, illnesses linked to street conditions, psychological illnesses linked to stress, isolation and ill-treatment, addictions
Number of projects : 6 mobile teams/projects working amongst people involved in prostitution, in the street, often in close collaboration with CASOs and harm reduction programmes linked to drug use
Number of beneficiaries : very hard to obtain data, probably around 1,000
Number of volunteers : 117
Partners : Cabiria, Amis du bus des femmes, Aides, local health authorities, Gasprom, Platfrom for the fight against human trafficking, anonymous screening centres (CDAG), health insurance office (CPAM), town councils, family planning centres, psychiatric emergency care, Samu social
The internal security law which created the offence of passive soliciting and the massive police presence contribute to the repressive situation which restricts access to healthcare and to prevention material for people working in prostitution. These people are exposed to risks of sexually transmitted infections; they are sometimes drug addicts and in certain cases the victims of trafficking. They are in an extremely vulnerable situation, made worse by being criminalised.
Support through prevention and information
Since 1999 as a theme in its own right
Activities:
In a climate marked by a clear increase in violence against them, people working in prostitution find themselves in an extremely vulnerable situation with less access to associations and prevention material. Accommodation difficulties and slow access to rights are additional obstacles to getting healthcare. Médecins du Monde's work particularly involves mobile activities, health promotion and harm reduction concerning prostitution practices, with welfare, medical, administrative and legal support. The teams are keen to give information, adapted and translated if necessary, on risks linked to STIs, HIV, hepatitis and on rights.
• In Le Havre, MdM has had to stop its work, as the police presence everywhere has led to the people working in prostitution disappearing completely from the streets.
• In Poitiers, as part of the Abri collective, MdM started work amongst people working in prostitution in September 2005.
• In Rennes, the exploratory project carried out in 2005 did not lead to setting up a specific programme.
Types of work
All our programmes offer referrals to screening for HIV, VHB and VHC, distribute prevention material, listen, promote people's rights, inform and refer to public structures.
Metz: an itinerant structure set up with Aides.
Montpellier: as well as evening work in the city centre, a daytime weekly visit is organised on the main roads.
Nantes: physical accompaniment to hospitals and for any health care, for access to rights, to file complaints, and to courts for cases of soliciting. Help to register for literacy courses. Set up thematic health workshops.
Paris: information adapted and translated into Chinese, support and referral with interpreters.
Poitiers: patrols set up as part of a collective.
Rouen: a rota for bus visits set up, thanks to synchronisation with work of the Aides association and an infectious diseases screening project
Outlook:
The projects want to work on and develop the testimony aspect, especially on the consequences of the internal security law on health and welfare for people working in prostitution.
October 2006