HIV/AIDS & STI
Background
Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia (FGAE) is a non-government, volunteer based, nonprofit organization that pioneered the initiation and expansion of sexual and reproductive health program in Ethiopia since 1966
FGAE is one of the local NGOs that provide SRH/FP including HIV/STI services through its own SRH clinics and franchised Private clinics in all regional state of the county. These services benefited hundreds of thousands of key and priority population (KPP), underserved and most vulnerable populations in different parts of the country.
Female Sex workers (FSWs) are highly susceptible to HIV/STI, violence and exploitation, especially in Africa including Ethiopia, where sex worker’s sexual reproductive right is not well practiced.
Female Sex Workers have high risk of HIV infection, limited access to services, and some face stigma and discrimination
In order to access SRH services separately for Female Sex Workers and their intimate partners, FGAE established Ten Female Sex Workers friendly clinics (FSWFC)with support from partners in nine highly HIV hotspot towns in the country since 2010
Geographical Location of the Female Sex Workers Friendly Clinics
The confidential clinics are located at the hotspot areas, where the highest HIV prevalence rate and at which many female sex workers were identified in bars, hotels, local drinking house and bus stations.
Key focus services for Female Sex Workers include;
- Awareness Creation
- Peer Education /support groups
- Provider Initiated Testing and counselling (PITC)
- Care and treatment
- Anti –Retroviral Therapy (ART)
- Prevention and management of Opportunistic Infections(OIs)
- Hepatitis B screening
- TB Screening and INH Preventive Therapy (IPT).
- Nutritional assessment and support for HIV positive patients
- Adherence and Psychosocial support including spiritual care
- Laboratory and pharmacy services
- Sexual and reproductive Health(SRH) Services for both FSWs and their intimate partners including
- Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) services and sexual health counseling including Psychosocial Support (PSS).
- Sexually Transmitted Infection(STI) Screening and management
- Cervical screening and treatment of precancerous lesions
- Family Planning (FP)
- Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC)
- Referral and linkage services
- Provision of Basic Care Kits (water guard, women sanitary pad and condoms)
Approaches
- All the services offered to clients at all clinics are free of charge
- No clinic posters, advertisement or any others indicators to show these clinics. FSWs are reached only through their peers (peer promoters)
- All the health care providers in the clinics are trained to provide sex workers friendly services in non-judgmental and non-discriminatory approach
- The clinics are conveniently located to the place of work of FSWs
- The working hours of the clinics are designed to complement with the times convenient to the FSWs
- Integrated comprehensive STI/HIV and others reproductive health services are provided to FSW at one stop shopping
