About 2.1 million people in India are living with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), which attacks the body’s immunity making it more vulnerable to other infections. If left untreated, it leads to AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome).

The virus spreads by contact with the bodily fluids of an HIV-infected person, most commonly during unprotected sex. This puts the sex workers at a greater risk of contracting the virus.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) describes sex workers as those who “receive money or goods in exchange for sexual services.”

Globally, sex workers are 13 times more at risk of contracting HIV, when compared to the general population, according to UNAIDS.

Under the National AIDS Programme, the Government of India has placed sex workers in the ‘targeted intervention’ category. 

However, little has improved for India’s sex workers who are marginalised, stigmatised and victimised by the society, making it difficult for them to seek help.

“Customers often refuse to use condoms,” Brijesh Arya, founder of pehchanindia.org, who has worked extensively among sex workers, told Opoyi. This puts both the sex worker and the customer at a greater threat of contracting HIV. 

Arya spoke about cases in which sex workers were infected with the disease, hence had to leave their work. “It dealt a huge blow to them, both economically and physically,” he said. “They also get infected by other diseases, like tuberculosis (TB)” Arya added.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus, ought to have had a huge impact on those who suffer from AIDS. HIV weakens the body’s immunity and the novel coronavirus attacks those the most who have a weaker immune system.

Since healthcare facilities were occupied with the coronavirus caseload, those with HIV and other diseases found it difficult to seek medical help. “The fear (due to COVID-19) was so much that they avoided treatment,” Arya said.

Talking about the prevalence of AIDS among male sex workers, he said, “There are a few people who work with male sex workers. They are less visible, as compared to females.”

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are 27 times more likely to get infected as compared to the general population, according to UNAIDS.

However, the situation has improved over the last several years. The proportion of sex workers with HIV/AIDS declined over four years to 2017, according to an IndiaSpend analysis of national health data.

From 2013-17, the HIV prevalence rate, i.e. the percentage of people tested and found infected among MSM also dropped from 4.4% to 2.7%, as per a 2018 UNAIDS report and India’s National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).

However, they are still faced with stigma, marginalisation and violence at the hands of society.