In most African countries, s$x workers are at risk of being treated unfairly, marginalized, and abused, not to mention the general risk of contracting HIV/AIDS or other s$xually transmitted diseases.
With poor healthcare and anti-prostitution laws, many of these s$x workers often risk contracting several s$xually transmitted diseases including the deadly HIV/AIDS.
However, in Senegal, the government has come up with distinctive ways to regulate the activities of s$x
workers to curtail such challenges. According to reports, the government gives these women identification cards to confirm them as s$x workers and to enable them to have access to free healthcare, condoms, and education.
Under the country’s laws, a woman has the right to work in the s$x trade if she is over 21. However, she has to undergo mandatory health check-ups every month to ensure that her s$x worker identity card stays valid.
Refusal to do so can get her fined or jailed. The s$x workers are asked to register and undergo constant medical checkups every month to ensure that their ID cards stay valid. Refusal to do so c
an result in her being jailed or fined.
Also, a s$x worker who contracts HIV will not have her license revoked completely, meaning she can continue practicing as long as she receives treatment in the form of free antiretroviral drugs.
This system of regulating the activities of s$x workers began in the colonial days when the French issued legislation that regulated prostitution in order to prevent the spread of s$xually tra
nsmitted diseases.
The system of regulation of s$x trade began during the colonial days by the French. The French introduced it to reduce the transmission of diseases. It was later reintroduced by the Senegalese government.
While other countries battle s$x trade itself and still have a high rate of pre
valence of s$xually transmitted diseases, Senegal seems to have found a way to embrace s$x trade and reduce transmission of diseases among its citizens.
