Medics learn not to judge
27 March 2008
Female sex workers in Ukraine are facing stigma and discrimination by medical staff, which is preventing them from accessing health services.
Alliance Ukraine is addressing these problems as part of an ongoing programme, financed by the Global Fund, to provide vulnerable populations with HIV prevention, treatment and care.
In February, Alliance Ukraine organised training for 27 members of the medical profession to reduce stigma and discrimination and provide non-judgemental healthcare services that meet the particular needs of this group of women.
Medical staff from across the country gathered in Kyiv where they learned about the history, context and myths of commercial sex and the different concepts of stigma, discrimination and tolerance. They discussed the law, medical ethics and public attitudes towards sex workers.
Through role play participants had an opportunity to understand what it is like to be stigmatised and discriminated against. There was also a focus on the communication challenges between sex workers and medical staff.
Pavlo Skala, Alliance Ukraine’s policy and advocacy manager outlined the Alliance’s experience of working with sex workers to prevent the spread of HIV and explained the priorities and challenges faced. Pavlo highlighted the important role medical workers play in reducing the barriers to accessing HIV services.
Information was given on implementing treatment services for sexually transmitted infections among vulnerable populations such as sex workers. The Alliance Ukraine presented draft guidelines on how to improve access to vulnerable groups and discussed these with the participants.
“The training is very important and helpful for our work; everyone has been surprised by the innovative and very informative ways of presenting the information. It has provided us the opportunity to understand our patients better. We have received information on stigma and discrimination which we were not able to learn in university as this kind of information was never presented to us during our studies,” said Olga Hryptylova, a doctor from Semashko Smila City Hospital in Cherkassy region.
The Ukrainian Harm Reduction Network, which works with commercial sex workers in the Ukraine, also gave a presentation about community mobilisation of sex workers.
Participants came from a range of different medical disciplines including: dermatologists, venereologists, gynaecologists, obstetricians, nurses, VCT doctors, psychotherapists and lab assistants.
Alliance Ukraine, with the advice of other experts, will be developing a training module specifically to overcome stigma and discrimination amongst medical workers and the police.
