SEX WORK AND THE LAW - HIV/AIDS Data Hub

involved in drug use, special interventions such as needle and syringe programmes have
proven to be difficult because local police arrest people if there is evidence of drug use.
The Ministry of Health has agreed to provide various services for people who use drugs
including needle and syringe programmes and methadone programmes. With these new
developments it is hoped that services for people who use drugs will be more smoothly
implemented.
6.2.3 Efforts to improve the legal environment
Government agencies (National AIDS Authority, Provincial AIDS Committees, Ministry of
Interior, Local Authorities, and National Centre for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STDs) now
actively support and promote the policy that police must not obstruct HIV prevention or
treatment interventions and must not confiscate condoms as evidence of sex work.
The National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan 2011-2015 includes the strategy of ensuring a
supportive legal and public policy environment for the national HIV response. The Strategy
requires the alignment of the Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual
Exploitation with the provisions of the HIV Law and the establishment of an enabling
environment for prevention in the area of entertainment work, including protection
of human rights and access to prevention, care and treatment services without fear of
harassment, arrest or punishment.
A High Level UN Mission on Sex Work secured agreement from the Royal Government
of Cambodia to according a priority to addressing HIV prevention with sex workers. This
resulted in high-level support for a range of initiatives (several in their early stages of
implementation) outlined below.
Continuum of Prevention to Care and Treatment for Entertainment Workers
The National Centre for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STIs (NCHADS) developed a Standard
Operating Procedures (SOP) for a Continuum of Prevention to Care and Treatment for Female
Entertainment Workers in 2009 which replaced the 100% CUP. The Continuum of Prevention
to Care and Treatment for Entertainment Workers is explicitly rights-based and prohibits
mandatory testing for STIs.
The revised approach responds to the increase in the number of women selling sex in
non-brothel establishments and changes in the nature of transactional sex. The approach
recognizes improved understanding of the importance of early HIV diagnosis and
treatment to prevention. A complementary initiative is Community Peer-Initiated Testing
and Counselling (CPITC) programme of NCHADS, which recruits peers to promote early
voluntary HIV testing among entertainment workers and men who have sex with men.
The SOP promotes peer-based interventions among entertainment workers. The SOP
recognizes the importance to effective HIV responses of a multi-sectoral approach
engaging non-health services (such as legal aid and rape crisis services) as well as health
services. Programme strategies include: strengthened policy frameworks, coordination,
outreach and service linkages; improved service provision for entertainment workers; and
a reproductive and sexual health approach in ‘transactional sex service environments’.
Under the SOP, committees at the District and Provincial levels (Continuum of Prevention
to Care and Treatment Coordinating Committees, chaired by the relevant Governor or
Vice-Governor) are responsible for monitoring compliance with administrative orders
(e.g., relating to condom availability in entertainment establishments) and ensure
that law enforcement is not negatively affecting implementation of the programme.
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