Increasing access and ownership of clinical services at an HIV prevention project for sex workers in Mysore, India

Abstract

Increasing sex workers’ (SWs) access to and utilisation of health care services is a key part of HIV prevention. An HIV prevention project in Mysore, India, has been particularly successful in fostering a new norm of health care seeking among local SWs while facilitating community ownership of health care delivery. This paper describes how the use of occupational health ideologies, along with the creation of enabling environments, facilitated the uptake of project healthcare services and transformed power relationships between SWs and their healthcare providers. These changes led Mysore's SWs to initiate health-enhancing actions that moved beyond project imperatives to serve self-identified community needs.

Keywords:

• sex workers
• health care services
• HIV/AIDS
• empowerment
• India

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the members of Ashodaya and Disha who gave generously of their time and shared their stories with us. The first author also wishes to thank Dr Nicole Berry for her continuing support and guidance.