Taking care of their own: Mysore sex workers unite in leading HIV/AIDs prevention

This paper discusses how commercial sex workers in Mysore, India have accepted and taken ownership of an HIV/AIDS prevention program focused on improving their health. The researcher collected data while in Mysore on a practicum for three months. Information was collected through in-depth interviews, focus groups, speaking with key informants, reviews of office documents and participant observation. The HIV prevention project was implemented in 2004 and its success has been due largely to the fact that the community was placed at the forefront since inception. The sex workers in Mysore formed a collective called ‘Ashodaya Samithi’. They have been actively involved in the decision-making process throughout the evolution of the project and have been empowered to make healthier choices. Community ownership will be taken to a new level when the project is handed over to them at the end of 2009 in order to become a sustainable community-based organization (CBO).