Sex Workers' Lifestyle Sex Workers' Lifestyle_Final (1) | Page 53

Lj: “Well, yes, sometimes yes. It’s really too much, for example the phone calls
make you too anxious, even though that’s the nature of the job, but it doesn’t
really affect the mental health. I: “How about the physical health?” Lj: “No.”
Female sex worker
M: “Mentally, of course yes, physically sometimes. For example, a client comes,
everything seems OK, they will pay, but they mentally abuse you, I don’t like this,
I don’t like that, the behavior in general. In terms of physical health, there have
been cases, but not many; the impact is more on the mental health.”
Transgender sex worker
In terms of using protection when working with clients, all respondents
stated that they only use condoms when they offer sex services. This clearly
points to the fact that they are aware of the risk of STIs and HIV transmission
if they are not protected.
When asked about offering sexual services without protection, a staggering
70% of the respondents stated that they have been offered a higher price
to agree on sex without protection. Some of the respondents did not feel
comfortable to elaborate on situations when they were forced to provide
such sex services.
A: “It has happened to me, it was a really bad situation, I was practically forced by
the client to have sex, but sadly that’s the case in our country, you can’t take PrEP
for example to protect yourself against HIV, we all rely on the condom only. It is
completely different in western countries; you can simply take a pill which can
protect you.” Male sex worker
L: “Yes, but I really don’t like to elaborate on that right now.”
Transgender sex worker
J: “No, but if a better price is offered yes, but I have never accepted such a thing.”
Female sex worker
The respondents stated that they regularly use healthcare services. They
stated that they most commonly use gynecological and dermatological
examinations, psychiatric services, as well as HIV testing, TBC, Hepatitis C,
Hepatitis B, Syphilis and other STIs testing. The majority of the respondents
stated that the healthcare services were provided by NGOs, and only one
respondent stated to have used healthcare services provided by the state
institutions, and in this case the service was provided by the Infectious
Diseases and Febrile Conditions Clinic in Skopje.
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