Quarantine and restrictions on movement due to COVID-19 have left most sex workers unemployed and some homeless and at risk of poverty. Throughout the world, sex workers unite to help each other during the #COVID19 pandemic.
“Unfortunately, sex workers were left alone to face the impending COVID-19 pandemic, and not many people were willing to help them, especially to male sex workers. The only possible option we had then was mutual support. At the beginning of the lockdown, we started to raise donations among our group members to buy masks, food, sought shelter for the homeless male sex workers. We have received timely assistance from the Emergency Support Fund for Key Populations. We have been able to create and distribute information brochures on HIV and COVID-19 prevention, as well as to purchase and distribute condoms, lubricants, gloves, respirators and sanitizers. We continue to look for opportunities to buy food, as our resources have already been depleted.” – commented the leader of the initiative group of ChemBrothers.
The project provides HIV and COVID-19 prevention materials to MSM sex workers during the quarantine. MSM sex workers community provides peer-to-peer psycho-social support and assistance in visiting friendly doctors and specialists.
The project “Prevention of HIV and COVID-19 among MSM sex workers” is being implemented by the Initiative MSM sex workers group #ChemBrothers with the technical assistance of HPLGBT and financial support from the Emergency Support Fund for Key Populations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
