don’t use one.”178
A sex worker may also decide not to use a condom
with a familiar client. Yangyang, a married transgender
sex worker, said: “It depends. If he’s a regular [client],
we can use it or not, but if he’s not a regular, we’ll
definitely use it.”179
“In places like Beijing
where recent crackdowns
on sex work have made
clients scarce, dire
economic circumstances
mean sex workers may
A sex worker will sometimes use instinct to decide
compromise the use of
whether or not a client is disease free, and on that
condoms in order to keep
basis decide whether or not to use a condom. Xiao
the client.”
Yu: “If I feel that man is handsome and young and
has a job and is probably not promiscuous, I’ll feel
more relaxed and sometimes not require a condom.”180 Baobao, 34, says sometimes
negotiations drag on, and giving up a condom may help to quickly close the deal.181
Interviewees said they were even more likely to go without condoms when with an
intimate companion. Sex workers feel clients present a greater health risk than intimate
companions, and they also place more trust in the latter. Binbin: “Who knows how
many people the client has messed around with – maybe even female prostitutes. I
trust my boyfriend more. I feel he’s a good person and doesn’t sleep around.”182
While most sex workers are aware of the importance of using condoms in penetrative
sex, some say they don’t use condoms for oral sex. Yangyang says: “When I go all the
way [penetrative sex] I usually use them, but not for oral sex.”183
Regardless of the type of sexual activity, whenever there is contact with semen, there is
the risk of transmission of STDs. For transgender sex workers, who face a higher risk of
HIV infection, the use of condoms is even more important.
Use of stimulants and drugs
In recent years, the use of synthetic drugs has risen sharply in China. By the end of
2012, the number of government registered synthetic drug users was 798,000, a 35.9%
178 Interview with Xiao Zhou, Beijing, April 29, 2014.
179 Interview with Yangyang, Shanghai, March 24, 2014.
180 Interview with Xiaoyu, Beijing, April 14, 2014.
181 Interview with Baobao, Beijing, June 1, 2014.
182 Interview with Binbin, Beijing, April 12, 2014.
183 Interview with Yangyang,Shanghai, March 24, 2014.
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