There Are More Than 220,000 Clients of Sex Services in Cambodia – Tuesday, 4.08.2009

Posted on 4 August 2009
The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 624
http://cambodiamirror.wordpress.com/

“Phnom Penh: Expert AIDS officials in Cambodia said that there are about 220,000 people who buy sex services in Cambodia, corresponding to 6% of the male population between the ages of 15 and 49.

“The deputy director of the National AIDS Authority of Cambodia, Mr. Tea Phalla, said during a training course to educate ‘Friends Educate Friends’ teachers on 3 August 2009 at the Ministry of Interior, ‘According to the observation of sex services in Cambodia, there are 220,000 clients of these services, corresponding to 6% of the male population between the ages of 15 and 49.

“Mr. Tea Phalla added, ‘In the last ten years, AIDS prevention has been a success, because police helped with this task.’ He went on to say that people selling sex services are afraid of the police, promoting the policy of the Royal Government of Cambodia to practice 100% condom use.

“He added that 14% of 400,000 men have girlfriends and sex partners besides their wives. ‘According to another observation, there are about 20,000 men seeking sex services each night in Cambodia at present.’

“Mr. Tea Phalla continued to say, ‘20% of the prostitutes use drugs, and it is hard to educate women who sell sex services not to use drugs.’

“The director of the AIDS Secretariat of the Ministry of Interior, Mr. Pen Vibol, said during the training, ‘Condom use increased after the ‘Friends Educate Friends’ program had been created. We are proud of our efforts.’

“Mr. Pen Vibol added, ‘AIDS is still a hot and worrying problem in Cambodia; as for AIDS prevalence in Cambodia, compared with neighboring countries in Southeast Asia, Cambodia has a higher rate.’

“The deputy director of Family Health International in Cambodia (FHI), Mr. Song Ngak, said, ‘FHI wants to see also that educational activities to prevent AIDS are included into the training school of national police of Cambodia.’

“He added that AIDS reached Cambodia in 1990s, in 1991 there were people confirmed to have HIV, more people which had been infected with AIDS were found in 1993, and the highest rate of AIDS infection occurred in 1996 and 1997.

“He added that people who died of AIDS from 1998 to 2002 did not receive treatment services as Cambodia did not have such possibilities at that time.

“Mr. Song Ngak continued to say that, ‘In 2007, approx. 3.1% of national police were infected with AIDS.’

“The head of the Medicine Management Office and director of the AIDS Program of the Ministry of Interior, Mr. Hy Samet, said, ‘The AIDS Secretariat of the Ministry of Interior trains ‘Friends Educate Friends’ teachers to have skills in educating about AIDS and about sexually transmitted diseases, and to promote the health of the national police forces, in order to contribute to reduce HIV and AIDS infections in Cambodia.’

“Mr. Hy Samet stated that the ‘Friends Educate Friends’ training course will take five days, with 26 trainees, from seven provinces and cities.”

Deum Ampil, Vol.3, #253, 4.8.2009
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Tuesday, 4 August 2009