THE CONDOM QUANDARY

ooms, sex work establishments, or apartments, while a few were outdoors, such as parks.
The process sex workers described was very similar among interview respondents: Police
entered the premises, stopped whatever was occurring and questioned those present, and
collected evidence of a sexual transaction. Many reported that police considered carrying
condoms to be proof of sex work.
Among them, 23 interview respondents reported that police entered the room unannounced
when they were engaging with the client, or just finished the sexual transaction. Interview
respondents reported that police waited outside, and raided the room when they thought
it was the right time. When the police entered the room, their actions were very clear: they
were searching for condoms. Interview respondents said police focused on waste baskets,
beds, quilts and handbags to collect condoms. Both used and unused condoms were
collected, as used condoms can proved sex had happened, and unused condoms can
prove they intended to have sex.
Xiaomei, a female sex worker, said:
I had just gone into the room with a client when several police officers swarmed
in and restrained both of us. They then began turning over things on the bed and
looking under the bed and in the bathroom, and they picked up the quilt and shook
it. I knew they were looking for condoms. A policeman in his 30s suddenly grabbed
my handbag, reached in and pulled out several condoms, and said, “She’s carrying
quite a few!” After that they took both of us into the police station. I had a lot of
condoms and moist towelettes in my handbag. 100
Six interview respondents reported that the police couldn’t find condoms, as they either did
not use condoms, or had promptly disposed of their condoms before the police entered
the room. In one case in which the police entered the room after the sexual transaction was
over and the sex worker and client had dressed, the police took the client’s pants off to
look for a condom to no avail, and after finding nothing in the trash can, left. 101 Three of the
six interview respondents denied engaging in a sexual transaction and did not receive any
punishment. In two of the six cases, the clients confessed, and one sex worker was sent to
custody and education for half a year, while the other paid a fine of 1800 CNY ($281). And in
one case, the client and sex worker insisted that they were just doing massage; the police
then took 500 CNY ($78) from her wallet and claimed that it was a fine. Zhou Jie, a female
sex worker, said she was lucky not to have been using condoms with a client when the
police entered:
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