By RUPERT MISSICK Jr

ALCOHOL appears to be the drug of choice for the vast majority of sex workers in The Bahamas, a new study by the Bahamas Urban Youth Development Centre reveals.

Out of the 237 sex workers interviewed for the survey, 94.5 per cent were women and 5.5 per cent were men. Through their research, the BUYDC discovered that 68 per cent of the sex workers use narcotics.

The substances abused by workers in the sex trade include everything from marijuana to ecstasy.

However, intravenous drug use, which is common among sex workers in the US, was virtually non-existent in the Bahamas.

However, 90 per cent said they use alcohol while engaging in sex work. The obvious danger of being intoxicated while on the job for sex workers is diminished use of protection against STDs and HIV AIDS.

The majority of sex workers in the Bahamas (69 per cent) are single or have never been married while 30 per cent of sex workers are either married, separated, divorced or in a long term relationship.

Eighty-eight per cent of them are between the ages of 18 and 35 in which 73 per cent have at least one child.

Clients of sex workers are universally recognized to be an at-risk population that also bridges the epidemic from sex workers to the general population

Clients’ condom use is situation dependent – they do not use condoms with trusted or regular sex worker partners.’

The BUYDC said that it felt the need to conduct a comprehensive study on the impact of sex workers in the Bahamas to assist it with its mission of teaching the prevention of HIV and AIDS to the most at risk groups in society.

In addition to high risk members of the population like sex workers, the BUYDC also focuses on reaching adolescent girls, particularly with HIV Prevention information and services.

This, the organization said, continues to present a critical challenge for service providers in the Bahamas due to the disparity between the legal age of consenting for sex and the law that prevents minors from accessing reproductive health services without the consent of their parents.

“In the Bahamas, adolescent girls between the ages of 16 and 17 have no access to confidential HIV Testing and reproductive health services, making it difficult for them to protect themselves from HIV and unwanted pregnancy. This is an area that demands greater innovation and attention, both through facility-based approaches and other activities to reach young people,” the BUYDC said.

The organization said evidence indicates that young adults usually do not see themselves at risk and that few are aware of their HIV status.