Exploring the Role of Community-Based Peer Support in Improving Access to Care and Antiretroviral Treatment for Sex Workers in Mysore, India

Abstract

To meet the HIV prevention needs of sex workers in India, some community-based organizations have begun integrating peer education and community mobilization into community-led structural interventions. As the role of community-based organizations continues to expand into new service areas, it is important to understand how these new interventions are received. This agency assessment was done in collaboration with Ashodaya Samithi in 2009. Ashodaya Samithi is a community-based organization led by female, male, and transgendered sex workers. In the past year, HIV-positive sex workers of Ashodaya have registered their own organization, known as Ashraya. Based on qualitative findings, this study describes how community-based organizations can play an important role in improving access to care and antiretroviral treatment for sex workers. The rapid growth of Ashraya and its success at fostering social solidarity and large-scale structural interventions hold valuable lessons for community-based organizations and public health practitioners working in the field of HIV/AIDS.