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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Kirsten Stoebenau, PhD, Department of Population and Family Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, (613) 233-8130, kstoeben@jhsph.edu

Background and Objectives: The meaning of “sex work” has been influenced by two opposing Western perspectives: abolitionists view prostitution as forced; and rights activists view sex work as a legitimate form of labor. I examine whether either of these perspectives apply to different forms of “sex work” in Antananarivo, Madagascar, and discuss the implications of the meaning of sex work on HIV prevention efforts.

Methods: The work is based on a qualitative, in-depth study of the social organization of women's sex work in Antananarivo. Research included life history interviews, four in-depth interviews (IDIs), and participant observation (PO) with 10 key participant women sex workers; PO and a semi-structured interview (SSI) with additional sex workers (n~50); SSI with general community respondents (n=60), and IDIs with community informants (n=25).

Results: Findings indicate that there are three different forms of “sex work” in Antananarivo. In each form, women work for their own monetary gain. The first, ambany (low), is practiced by women in very poor neighborhoods. The second, antonony (middle), takes place on downtown streets at night. The final form, ambony (high), takes place in nightclubs and bars, and is practiced by women looking for foreign husbands.

Discussion/Conclusion: Neither of the Western perspectives on “sex work” apply easily to forms of “sex work” in Antananarivo. HIV prevention efforts which target “sex workers” need to re-consider the meaning of sex work within every social context, as an inappropriate reliance on Western perspectives can harm those targeted and negatively impact the population's health more generally.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to

• Identify different Western discourses on “sex work” and prostitution today and how they are used in contexts outside of the West.
• Describe three different forms of “sex work” in Antananarivo, Madagascar.
• Assess the applicability of Western perspectives on sex work to contexts outside of the West and the consequences of such perspectives on local HIV prevention efforts.

Keywords: Sex Workers, Women and HIV/AIDS

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation