Impact of Anti-Prostitution Law on Sexually Transmitted Disease Control Program

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of the anti-prostitution law on the sexually transmitted disease (STD) control program, which focuses on sex workers. The results drawn from a review of various forms of literature, secondary data and in-depth interviews with experts on prostitution and STD control reveal that the introduction of the anti-prostitution law seems to have little effect on prevention of STD infection in a positive direction. The numbers for registration of sex workers to public health centers and STD examination of sex workers were reduced dramatically and the STD examination program of public health centers also faced great confusion in the course of implementation. In addition, prostitution spread wide in a variety of forms with little change in the nationwide STD prevalence rate after the enforcement of the anti-prostitution law. Furthermore, social environment for STD infection has not been improved much still showing a very low rate of condom use in casual sex. Considering these conditions, this study proposes suggestions to effectively prevent STD infection among sex workers.