Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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Reuters (12.09.05) - Monday, December 12, 2005
Krittivas Mukherjee
"My chief goal is to ensure that not a single sex worker offers her service without condoms. We want to bring down the infection rate to zero," said Dey, who at age 17 turned to sex work when her husband abandoned her and their son.
Ten years ago, Sonagachi's HIV infection rate was about 90 percent but, by encouraging sex workers to refuse condomless sex, the HIV/AIDS program has helped bring the rate down to approximately 5 percent. The state HIV/AIDS campaign also operates through such groups as Dey's Durbar Mahila Samanway Samiti, an umbrella organization for about 65,000 prostitutes in eastern India.
"It's very difficult to ensure 100 percent condom use but we still strive to achieve that," said Dey. "We also aim to achieve empowerment of sex workers," she said. "Now many sex workers buy condoms with their money and don't wait for the free ones from the government. This means there is growing awareness."
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