Gender, Rights And Hiv Risk

Using data from programm of"Conducting health education among female migrants in Shanghai", this paper examed how absence of elementary rights counteract HIV/AIDS prevention intervention conducted among female entertainment workers. The result revealed that those HIV/AIDS prevention intervention projects which merely focused on offering information cannot actually decrease female entertainment workers'HIV/AIDS risky sex. By contraries, gender inequality and illegalization of commercial sex trade made them give up claim for protecting themselves. As a result, their subsistence right and health right were violated.First of all, gender inequality brought more risk of marginalization for women than that for men which increased their possibility of involving in commercial sex trade. Within sex trade relationship, unequal gender power and social gender norms placed them in subordinative situation and increased their exposure to physical abuse and HIV/STD risk. Secondly, punishment toward sex trade denied their health protecting rights and equality rights of common citizens. As consequence, they exposed to violence and infection risk. At the same time, they put escaping from punishment as the first consideration because of harsh consequence, so they usually kept silence about violation. In order to get protect, they called help from gangsterdoms, pimps and corrupt policemen, which fostered"undergrounded economy"and potential social problem. They also further involved in being controlled and violated and became population living in"grey area"whose rights were completely ignored.Marketization weakened protection toward gender equality and caused gap between the rich and the poor as well as diversity of values, which made female entertainment workers legally exist in a large number. However, the nature of their work made them vulnerable to sex trade, which is illegal and will be attacked. It is this contradiction which provides spaces for large amount of social problems. Reexamining the contradiction is of important significance for HIV/AIDS prevention intervention, as well as for legislation advancement.