Margen Foundation for Sex Workers and ICW Chilean Chapter of Women Living with HIV/AIDS, issued a statement calling on the Government of Chile to guarantee access to health, as well as access and use of the female condom at all times, including the delivery of HIV therapies multimes all people living with HIV, as recommended by UNAIDS.
Since Covid-19 appeared in Chile, health care in the public system has been directly affected, especially sexual health care for all women. Efforts in this regard have concentrated on the fight against viruses, often leaving other relevant problems in the background.
In relation to this, the Margin Foundation for Sex Workers and ICW Chilean Chapter of Women Living with HIV/AIDS, through a statement, denounce that together with the cancellation of clinical care and treatment tests for people living with HIV and other highly complex chronic diseases, "an important group of young women, adults and mothers of families, as well as sex workers, we face poor information, suspension of consultations and referrals to emergencies, places at high risk of contagion of the coronavirus" .
In addition, they add that "while these unfortunate and serious situations occur, the health authorities invite to resume frequent health checks, but women sex workers and women living with HIV are not treated, nor do we receive adequate and truthful information."
In this sense, the foundation of women sex workers, as well as women living with HIV/AIDS, denounce that they are stigmatized and discriminated against by society, "representing the groups most shaken and made invisible by the coronavirus pandemic." One of their main complaints revolves around the delivery of boxes of basic necessities, the “Alimentos para Chile” boxes, which now include in their stock products such as sanitary towels and male condoms.
Although, for the groups, this public policy is valuable, "the exclusion of female and / or vaginal condoms in this issue is striking, as it is a policy directed at all women and announced by the former Minister of Health, Emilio Santelices, a public policy that we have enthusiastically promoted in different areas and spaces ”, they pointed out.
For them, the rights won by women's organizations have been seriously affected in the midst of this new pandemic that acts as a reality, but also appears as "justification and excuse". “We are talking about excuses because while promoting the inclusion of three male condoms in the Chilean government food boxes, female condoms are excluded. We are talking about excuses because while promoting the provision of sanitary towels in food boxes, sexual health services for the care of women, including women sex workers and women living with HIV, are suspended and in the best of cases, attending only serious and exceptional situations ”.
Finally, Fundación Margen de Mujeres Trabajadores Sexuales and ICW Chilean Chapter of Women Living with HIV / AIDS require the Government of Chile to guarantee access to health, as well as access and use of the female condom at all times, including the delivery of HIV multi-month therapies for all people living with HIV, as recommended by UNAIDS. Read more via Elm Strador