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| Comunity leadership : |
| Registration of sex workers had been routine in Senegal for more than 15 years by the time AIDS arrived. Registered sex workers were required to have regular health checks, and STDs were treated if necessary. This meant that sex workers were in regular contact with the health services, and the spread of HIV infection could easily be monitored in this group. It was immediately clear that sex workers were at extremely high risk both of contracting HIV and of passing it on to their clients. Preventive interventions centring on the promotion of condom use with clients were immediately put in place. Many sex workers began to join support groups to safeguard their health in the face of AIDS. Over 30 such groups have been established. Members attend talks, films and other information sessions about HIV and AIDS.usually around five times a year. They also act as outreach educators for women who work in the sex trade but who have not joined support groups. These include women who have not registered as sex workers. It is hard to know exactly how many unregistered sex workers there are.by some estimates there are as many again as there are registered sex workers. Little is known, too, about levels of infection or risk behaviour among these women. They will certainly become an increasing focus for future prevention efforts. There are also renewed efforts to reach populations that may be regular suppliers or consumers of casual sex, whether or not in exchange for money. These include mobile populations such as migrant workers and transport workers. Locations where casual sex may take place, such as weekly markets, are also becoming targets for more active prevention efforts. It has long been known that the presence of other STDs makes it easier to contract or pass on HIV infection. So regular and adequate treatment of STDs moved up the list of health priorities once the threat of an HIV epidemic became clear. The provision of STD services was strengthened both among sex workers and in the general population. |
| As mentioned, Senegalese society has a tradition of active community involvement in health and development issues. When it became clear that AIDS was a potential threat to national well-being, religious, women.s, youth and other community groups were well placed to respond. By 1995, 200 NGOs were active in the fight against AIDS. Over 400 women.s groups, with a total of half a million members, also supported AIDS-related activities, which ranged from national AIDS walks to puppet shows. Clearly, this was a new field for NGOs and community organizations, and many needed support in developing skills for AIDS prevention work. An umbrella NGO organization was formed, providing support for members and acting as a liaison with the national AIDS programme. Training was provided for more than 100 organizations that wanted to respond to the threat of HIV but felt they lacked the necessary skills. |
| Staying safe : Young people |
| Policy makers quickly realized that young people needed information about HIV and safe behaviour before they became sexually active. Although sexual activity starts relatively late in Senegal, an effort was made to introduce sex education early. By 1992, sex education was part of the curriculum in both primary and secondary schools. In addition, an effort was made to reach young people who were not in school, mostly through youth groups. Young people get information from many sources, but parents can be especially influential. Through religious and community organizations, parents were actively encouraged to assume responsibility for protecting their children.s sexual health by providing full information and support for safe behaviour.Messages for young people have tended to focus on increasing knowledgeabout the risks of unprotected sex and encouraging abstinence. But there is some concern that actual provision of services for young people who do choose to be sexuallyactive has been inadequate. |
| Staying safe : Sex workers and their partners |
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