An alarming rise in the number of HIV-positive cases in Saskatchewan has the province's chief medical officer examining all elements of transmission of the virus, including prostitution.Dr. Moira McKinnon told CBC News that prostitutes who are infected with HIV and have unprotected sex are contributing to the spread of the virus.
On Monday, CBC News broke the story that McKinnon viewed 174 new cases of HIV in Saskatchewan last year — a 40 per cent jump from 2007 — as a "crisis" in public health.
McKinnon identified drug users, particularly those who share needles, and HIV-positive prostitutes as two groups that need attention.
"It's intertwined," McKinnon said. "The sex industry and the drug industry. We know that there are sex workers out there that are infected."
She said prostitutes pose a particular challenge.
"They've been ordered to change their behavior," McKinnon said. "We have to monitor compliance with that behavior and that's difficult to do."
McKinnon said one option is to charge prostitutes who knowingly engage in unprotected sex, without disclosing their HIV status, although she acknowledged such a charge could be difficult to prove.
Barb Lawrence, of Regina's Street Workers Advocacy Project, said criminal prosecution is the wrong approach.
"We're facing a really significant problem in this community and demonizing one small group is not the answer," Lawrence said.
McKinnon said she will be working with officials in the Ministry of Justice and police services to look for ways to push HIV-positive prostitutes off the streets.
They will also examine how other jurisdictions have dealt with the problem, McKinnon said Courtesy CBC
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