HIV/AIDS Impact: Sex Workers in Thailand and Australia Compared

This report provides a comparative analysis of the impact of education and economic factors on sex workers in Thailand and Australia, with a specific focus on HIV/AIDS vulnerability. The report explores the social determinants, including the economic conditions and educational opportunities, and how they affect the health and well-being of sex workers in both countries. It highlights differences in access to healthcare, social services, and legal protections, noting the varying approaches to managing HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. The report also discusses the impact of government policies and cultural contexts on the lives of sex workers, emphasizing the importance of education and economic empowerment in mitigating risks and promoting public health. The conclusion summarizes the key findings, emphasizing the disparity in the handling of sex workers' issues between the two countries and offering recommendations for interventions, including safe sex education and access to healthcare to reduce HIV/AIDS transmission and improve the overall quality of life for sex workers. The report references various academic sources and research papers to support its arguments and findings.

How education and economic
influence sex workers in
Thailand vs Australia

Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
HIV/AIDS and the vulnerable group...............................................................................................3
Social determinant – Economics.....................................................................................................4
Social determinant – Education.......................................................................................................5
Recommendations............................................................................................................................6
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................6
Referencing......................................................................................................................................7

Introduction
In this report, Australia and Thailand are the two countries that are specifically being taken
into consideration. Also, the vulnerable group on which this whole report will put light on is sex
workers. On the other hand, the two specific social determinants that will be shown in this report
are economic and education (Kempadoo, & Doezema, 2018). Away with this, report will also be
showing the different circumstances along with such situations which impacted on the chosen
vulnerable group which is sex workers due to Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired
Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in Thailand and Australia. In present time, it has been
observed that sex workers among Australia and Thailand are actively excluded from a range of
groups and societies as well. In context with HIV/AIDS, individuals belonging to this particular
group in Thailand do not have access to various health related services, educational and
employment opportunities, testing, treatment for AIDS/HIV, sexually transmitted infections,
protections from an innumerable of human rights violations. However, in Australia there are a
range of strategies along with campaigns that are specifically being formulated by government
that helped sex workers in different ways.
Based on different investigations, it has been analysed that there is an estimation of
approximately 1,500 - 10,000 working in NSW at any one time, though many of these estimates
count only female sex workers where Public Health Act 1997 states that there will be offence if a
sex worker knowingly make relations with an individual who is dealing with HIV or a sexually
transmitted illness (STI).
HIV/AIDS and the vulnerable group
In today’s time, it has been observed that sex workers not in Australia and in other countries
as well like Thailand, there is approximately 13 times more risk to sex workers of dealing with
HIV/AIDS as compared to general population. The specific reason that came in front was
increase within different economically vulnerable, experiencing violence, unable to negotiate
consistent condom use, marginalisation and criminalisation as well (Jebarajakirthy, Thaichon &
Sivapalan, 2017).
Sex workers are frequently defamed, underestimated and condemned by the social orders
wherein they live. Differently, these variables add to their weakness to HIV. Despite the fact that
sex work is in any event halfway legitimate in certain nations, the law once in a while secures

sex workers. Around the planet, there is an extreme absence of enactment and arrangements
ensuring sex workers who might be in danger of viciousness from both state and non-state
entertainers, for example, law requirement, accomplices, relatives and their customers (Jeffreys,
2018). For instance, a sex specialist who is assaulted will for the most part have little any desire
for bringing charges against their assailant. This absence of assurance leaves sex workers open to
manhandle, brutality and assault, establishing a climate which can encourage HIV transmission
(Joonlaoun, 2017).
Social determinant – Economics
The services which are provided by the sex workers have technically proven resistant to the
economic factors slow, as the negative impacts has been observed through a jumbled and mixed
economic factors I.e. environmental among this the greater external factors competition by the
brothel keeping as well as sex workers services industries over past five to six years (Sanders,
O'Neill, & Pitcher, 2017). In Australia, the trend of this culture become in the hotlist and
trending in short span of time. As the side effects were not determined earlier. The rate of
mortality increased to this trend which is not able to able to reduce at once. According to studies,
the idol idea of the unlimited economic growth can be established and accomplished within
limited space as with the help of limited materials, intelligence. These factors generally show
unlimited courage as well as self-confidence. The facts off economic factors even also directly
proportional the rate of infections of HIV as well. As the people do not exactly know about the
concept of serious illness which can lead to health issues. The government has established a new
strategies and ways in order to increase the cases and several programs also being conducted
which have objectives on educating people (Preble, Magruder & Cimino, 2019).
In Thailand, the western culture or penetration by the end of century conducted the number
of economic factors. Under the western influence, a commercial economic policy established in
Thailand. The policy is demonstrated as the consequent turn or change was for increasing in the
production for subsistence to the production export. As the women were assigned to each
influential males in order to provide them good entertainment where a prostitution was firstly
introduced in the country. In the short of period of time the culture of unsafe sex become the
priority list and the trend become to follow by number of people present in the country.
The trend also promoted the diseases which is sexually transmitted diseases as there was no
establishment for the cure of this disease so people are most likely tend to be dead. The chain of

this viruses was influenced and it is demonstrated as endless. The people were most likely to take
this disease so lightly as the effects of this disease which highly aimed on the immunity system
of an individual which can finish a person from inside the body (Jones, King, & Edwards, 2018).
The programmes by government has been launched yet in order to spread awareness of this
particular disease.
Social determinant – Education
The latest approach adopts in Australia in order to prevent the transmission of virus
(HIV/AIDS) as a resultant of sex worker. It is demonstrated in regards with health and promoting
principles of the Ottawa Charter (Rinaldi, Kiadaliri & Haghparast-Bidgoli, (2018). The influence
of virus is termed crucial in the regions of Australia as it Unsafe sex is becoming trend in the
populations due to bad influences. As it is responded that HIV is rapidly spreading in the region
of Australia through the sex industry via heterosexual community. In order to redeem the
infections government funded sex worker’s organisation has established in the production of
resources, educational programs among these interventions. These adoption encourages the safe
sex culture which is mandatory by brothels. The educational resources which are being provided
to them by government are daily new letters, printed resources for sex industries as well as their
providers, reference library, informational websites, several videos and clips of sex workers etc.
as it termed to be compulsory to being sex workers acknowledge the serious effectiveness of
sexually transmitted diseases as it effects are harmful and can lead person to dead. According to
studies the rate of mortality arises in Australia, due to this disease. The adoption of new
strategies in by which they are provided education in context of this complex disease is guided
by government (Sunanta,2020).
In Thailand, all about secondary and vocational institutions provide comprehensive sexuality
education. The rate of sexually transmitted virus infections are obtained by data is high as the
unsafe sex is a culture of Thailand. As education is not provided at the age of childhood. The
surveys have been conducted in order to measure the date rate and infected people by the virus,
the age of 25 have lower levels of HIV knowledge and testing HIV testing and counselling than
those over age of 25 approximately (Kang, 2017). In 2016, only few around 45 percent of
population know how3 to control and prevent the HIV. As the new sexually transmitted disease
has been arising among in the particular age group. The government have planned a new strategy
in order to prevention. The first step should be taken that providing sex education at the minor

age should be beneficial as well as campaigns and programmes should be conducted in order to
educate each age group. The suggesting HIV tests and the prevention programmes need to be
given importance. As the education is compulsory in these region (Dutta, 2016).
Recommendations
There is no solution for HIV/AIDS contamination. However, it is recommended that
avoidance of intercessions is accessible: forestalling mother-to-youngster transmission, male and
female condom use, hurt decrease mediations, pre-openness prophylaxis, post openness
prophylaxis, Voluntary Medical male circumcision (VMMC) and antiretroviral drugs (ARVs)
which can handle the infection and help forestall forward transmission to others are said to be
some of the crucial ways through which impact of different social determinants can be reduced
to minimal among sex workers in both the countries and these are Australia and Thailand (Tsang,
2020). Also, providing proper sex education is also said to be a crucial aspect that may help sex
workers in reducing the chances and risk factors linking with various problems like HIV/AIDS.
Conclusion
With the help of above mentioned report, it is summarised that both the social determinants
carry a huge amount of differences among both the countries (Australia and Thailand) when it
comes to see the impact of sex workers. Basically, Australia is way better in handling the overall
situation of sex workers as most of the individuals are aware of different interventions to reduce
the chances of spreading HIV/AIDS like use of condom. Including this, in relation with Thailand
education level of standard is low as compared to Australia and this is considered to be a reason,
which has raised ample number of problems for sex workers. Also, government also do not focus
on different problems and situations that are specifically being faced by sex workers like dealing
AIDS/HIV.

Referencing
Books and Journals
Kempadoo, K., & Doezema, J. (Eds.). (2018). Global sex workers: Rights, resistance, and
redefinition. Routledge.
Jebarajakirthy, C., Thaichon, P., & Sivapalan, A. (2017). Promoting condom usage to male sex
workers in Thailand: a development of a conceptual framework: social marketing
perspective. International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, 14(4), 495-512.
Jeffreys, E. A. (2018). Sex worker organisations and political autonomy from funders: case
studies of Scarlet Alliance Australian Sex Workers Association and Empower
Foundation (Thailand).
Sanders, T., O'Neill, M., & Pitcher, J. (2017). Prostitution: Sex work, policy & politics. Sage.
Preble, K., Magruder, K., & Cimino, A. N. (2019). “It’s like being an electrician, you’re gonna
get shocked”: Differences in the perceived risks of indoor and outdoor sex work and its
impact on exiting. Victims & Offenders, 14(5), 625-646.
Jones, S., King, J., & Edwards, N. (2018). Human-trafficking prevention is not “sexy”: Impact of
the rescue industry on Thailand NGO programs and the need for a human rights
approach. Journal of human trafficking, 4(3), 231-255.
Rinaldi, G., Kiadaliri, A. A., & Haghparast-Bidgoli, H. (2018). Cost effectiveness of HIV and
sexual reproductive health interventions targeting sex workers: a systematic
review. Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation, 16(1), 1-13.
Sunanta, S. (2020). Globalising the Thai ‘high-touch’industry: Exports of care and body work
and gendered mobilities to and from Thailand. Journal of Ethnic and Migration
Studies, 46(8), 1543-1561.
Dutta, D. (2016). Rethinking Care and Economic Justice with Third-World Sexworkers. In The
Palgrave Handbook of Gender and Development (pp. 186-201). Palgrave Macmillan,
London.
Kang, D. B. C. (2017). Eastern orientations: Thai middle-class gay desire for ‘white
Asians’. Culture, Theory and Critique, 58(2), 182-208.
Tsang, E. Y. H. (2020). Reciprocating desires: The pursuit of desirable east Asian femininity in
China’s commercial sex industry. Deviant Behavior, 41(8), 917-935.

Joonlaoun, P. (2017). Remitting behaviors and intention to return home of Thai migrant workers
in Australia: A study of income, employment and legal satisfaction. Journal of
Advances in Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(1), 29-41.