Debate
Sex work and the 2010 FIFA World Cup: time for public health imperatives to prevail
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* Corresponding author: Marlise L Richter marlise.richter@gmail.com
1 International Centre for Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, Ghent 9000, Belgium
2 Forced Migration Studies Programme, University of the Witwatersrand, 1 Jan Smuts Avenue, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa
3 Centre for Health Policy, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, No 7 York Avenue, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
4 Independent consultant, PO Box 568, Cramerview, Johannesburg, 2060, South Africa
5 Independent consultant, 3 Blenheim Mansions, Brixton Hill, London SW2 1SA, UK
Globalization and Health 2010, 6:1 doi:10.1186/1744-8603-6-1
Published: 11 February 2010Abstract
Background
Sex work is receiving increased attention in southern Africa. In the context of South Africa's intense preparation for hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup, anxiety over HIV transmission in the context of sex work has sparked debate on the most appropriate legal response to this industry.
Discussion
Drawing on existing literature, the authors highlight the increased vulnerability of sex workers in the context of the HIV pandemic in southern Africa. They argue that laws that criminalise sex work not only compound sex workers' individual risk for HIV, but also compromise broader public health goals. International sporting events are thought to increase demand for paid sex and, particularly in countries with hyper-endemic HIV such as South Africa, likely to foster increased HIV transmission through unprotected sex.
Summary
The 2010 FIFA World Cup presents a strategic opportunity for South Africa to respond to the challenges that the sex industry poses in a strategic and rights-based manner. Public health goals and growing evidence on HIV prevention suggest that sex work is best approached in a context where it is decriminalised and where sex workers are empowered. In short, the authors argue for a moratorium on the enforcement of laws that persecute and victimise sex workers during the World Cup period.