ПРОЦЕНКА НА ПОТРЕБИТЕ НА МЛАДИТЕ СЕКСУАЛНИ РАБОТНИЦИ ВО ОДНОС НА ЗДРА Проценка на потребите на младите сексуални работни | Page 33

5. CONCLUSION
As a direct result of the existing policies and practices, the institutional lack of
care, the pervasive stigma and discrimination against people who are involved in
the sex industry, young sex workers in the Republic of Macedonia emphasize the
importance and role of the civil sector in the process of providing suitable care.
Irrespective of the manner or the location where they do sex work, it is
noticeable that all young sex workers have the same or similar needs for
healthcare, social and legal services. Nevertheless, sex workers with different
gender identity have different problems and needs of various services.
Having into account the social perception of the woman as a singular engine in
the sex industry on the one hand, and the broad spectrum of available services
offered for women in the civil sector on the other, the state of negligence of male
and transgender sex workers among services providers becomes noticeable. The
research has shown that almost all female sex workers have been provided with
access to and an exam by a gynecologist, whereas in transgender sex workers the
access to endocrinologist and the required expertise assistance remain a significant
challenge. Male sex workers emphasize the need of service by a urologist, a
service which is currently unavailable in the civil organizations’ centers; it is at their
disposal only in the public healthcare system, which is rarely or never utilized.
This research also shows that sex workers are well familiar with and regularly utilize
services offered by civil organizations on the one hand, while on the other, they feature
insufficient knowledge and are not informed well enough, when it comes to services
offered by state institutions. Namely, in 40% of young sex workers there is distrust
towards the employed professionals in the institutions, with particular emphasis on
their fear of access to state institutions due to the serious lack of sensitivity among
these personnel. The fear and distrust towards institutions which pervades in sex
workers is the direct result of the severely marginalized status of sex work as work.
Furthermore, the young transgender sex workers in Macedonia are not protected
against discrimination and violence based on gender identity. The research
indicates that there is an urgent need to legally recognize gender and alter the
Criminal Code in the direction of explicitly prohibiting violence based on gender
identity and sexual orientation. Having into account the current unfavorable
repressive policies and measures that affect sex workers’ lives, few of them would
leave the sex industry in order to set themselves free from the social pressures,
whereas many of them refer to the positive policies and practices from Western
European countries which should be applied in their country, refusing to obtain
other qualifications for the labor market. The research results are encouraging for
civil organizations in terms of expanding their range and spectrum of services
for male and transgender sex workers, whereas state institutions are encouraged
to work on gaining sex workers’ trust as a considerably marginalized community.
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