Loyd Brendan P. Norella, M.D.Remedios AIDS Foundation, Inc.
Manila Philippines

ON-SITE DELIVERY
OF STI/HIV/AIDS EDUCATION AND CLINICAL SERVICES
TO THE FEMALE COMMERCIAL SEX WORKERS OF MANILA
- EXPERIENCES IN THE FIELD

ABSTRACT:

Of the estimated 250,000 commercial sex workers in the Philippines, most are females who ply the streets of big urbanized settings like Manila. Data from reproductive health clinic consults reflect an under-utilization of these services. This could be due to the stigma attached to STI clinics and the lack of drive to actively seek medical consults among the sex workers. Acknowledging this concern, Clinica Remedios of the Remedios AIDS Foundation, a Manila based NGO, included on-site education and delivery of health services to this group as a community strategy. For a year now, the clinic team regularly visited the site where sex workers are concentrated to directly deliver education and health services, utilizing rented motel rooms as temporary clinics with corridors as make-shift lecture halls. To date, more than 200 female sex workers have availed of these on-site services.

The target clients responded favorably to this strategy and claimed to be more encouraged to regularly practice safer sex with their customers. The holding of on-site clinics was interpreted by the clients as a show of genuine concern from the team- in contrast to a stigmatizing environment of a health clinic. This made the process of rapport building, discussion of safer sex practices and follow-ups more easily achieved.