AIDS Awareness Amongst Workers- A Myth or Reality?

Abstract

Miss Easther, a social worker, and I visited Sonagachi, one of the largest and oldest red light areas in Calcutta, in June '98. Here, amongst the humdrum of hawkers, shopkeepers and traders, large three and four storeyed crumbling houses, in narrow lanes, provide shelter to an estimated 4000 sex workers who live in 350 brothels. Their numbers grow by 1500 during festive seasons when a floating population of SWs come to the city from surrounding areas. They earn their livelihood from the 20,000 men who patronize them.