Prevention of spreading HIV / AIDS
The Project was initiated in July 2004. ARCOD has been working with female sex workers in Krishnagiri District to prevent spreading of HIV/AIDS. The project is supported by TANSACS, Chennai.
Coverage
The project is being successfully implemented in Krishnagiri, Kaveripattinam, Uthangarai, Barugur, Veppanapalli, Kelamangalam and Mathur blocks of Krishnagiri district.
ARCOD identified about 2800 sex workers in these 7 blocks of the district. ARCOD has established a field team and a clinic with trained medical team to provide health education and treatment for STI to the sex workers.
Major Activities
- @ Organize orientation programme for the Peer Educators
- @ Regular field visit through one to one interaction, one-to-group interaction
- @ Bring patients suffering from STDs by peer motivation to nearest clinic of the Govt. or Private Health Service Providers.
- @ Participatory planning of quality IEC materials relevant to TI
- @ Providing counseling services to the STD patients and to the general patients as per the requirement
- @ Recording case study for effective behavior change
- @ Running a STI clinic for diagnosis and treatment of STD cases and general ailments
- @ Physical examination & Treatment of STD cases among FSWs
- @ Provision of medicine free of cost
- @ Follow-up of treated cases
- @ Provide referral services & Follow-up
- @ Motivating KPs, Extensive field visits for rendering demand driven services, conducting regularly cultural expression day
- @ Planning, Procurement, storage and free distribution of good quality condoms
- @ Procurement of good preferred female condoms for social marketing
- @ BCC sessions for condom popularizations
- @ Preparing and distributing IEC / IPC materials regarding condoms
- @ Condom demonstration by PEs and ORWs
- @ Identification of PLHA and providing counseling service to them
- @ Networking with the organization working with positive people
- @ Advocacy with local administration and political persons
- @ Arranging orientation program with policemen and other securities
- @ Education program for the children of sex workers
The process has enabled the sex workers to form their own Community Based Organization (CBO) to be self – reliant in taking care themselves. The main purpose of promoting the CBO is to encourage them to have safe sex behavior, develop health seeking behavior and to strive for positive behavioral changes that will enable them to lead a life with dignity. In the process the CBO strives to prevent spreading of HIV/AIDS and supports the infected sex workers and their children. The Sex workers are known as Key Population (KPs).