Condoms in Bahrain: Sex Workers’ Only Protection Against HIV/AIDS

by Suad Hamada
–Bahrain–

Savatri used a condom for the first time in her life when she was forced into prostitution a few months ago. Fortunately, the 34-year-old Indian woman was instructed by the managers of the brothel to insist that her clients wear a condom – the only preventive method against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV, in use by sex workers in Bahrain.

Sex workers’ last hope for proper medical care was lost at the International AIDS Conference in Vienna last July when Bahrain officially declined to provide licenses to sex workers as a measure to reduce HIV/AIDS cases. Although sex work remains one of the risk factors in increasing HIV/AIDS rates, Bahrain rejected the proposal without hesitation out of fear of clashes with our conservative society, Dr. Somaya Al Jowder, head of the National AIDS Program, tells me.

“Condoms were compulsory in my unexpected profession, although I never used them with my husband, who thinks I’m working as a domestic worker at a house in Bahrain,” Savatri recalls from jail while serving a four-month sentence, not for prostitution but for violating residency regulations in Bahrain.

“I was locked inside the brothel after a man convinced me to run away from the family I used to work for as a maid. He promised me better income, but I received nothing for my service and my one-month nightmare of free sex ended when the police raided the house and rescued me with the other females,” Savatri remembers.

While Savatri gained nothing from prostitution, Tarmi, age 33 and from Indonesia, received a small sum of US$11 for each client, and she saw several clients in a day. Her clients were also required to use condoms.

“The managers of the house were aggressive and insisted on condom use, although they didn’t question other hygienic aspects of our activities. I don’t think they cared about us, but the wellbeing of their clients,” Tarmi tells me from jail.

Tarmi was also forced into prostitution when she was locked inside a brothel. She saw the sunlight for the first time after four months when the police raided the house.

The prison officials confirmed that Savatri and Tarmi are free of STDs, but not all sex workers are as lucky. Several female inmates convicted for prostitution were infected, and officials admitted that other inmates were infected with HIV/AIDS, but refused to tell whether they were sex workers or held on other charges.

“Licensing sex workers isn’t new to Bahrain as it was practiced during British rule, but since independence in 1971 the constitution emphasizes that all laws should respect Islamic regulations, so such an international proposal couldn’t be implemented now,” according to Al Jowder.

“Although Bahrain is being praised for its low rates of HIV/AIDS and for dealing with the issue, the total ignorance of sex workers is a problem that cannot be underestimated. We are assuming that sharing needles is the main cause of HIV/AIDS cases, but we cannot be fully sure with the absence of information about sex workers,” Al Jowder continues. She also doubts the effectiveness of condoms as a protection method in Bahrain as she says that many might use them improperly or buy cheap condoms that offer poor protection.

In the last twenty years, 825 in Bahrain have been diagnosed with AIDS and HIV. A total of 161 HIV-related deaths have been reported in Bahrain since 1986.

Even as condoms are the only method of protection available to sex workers, they are not always used. Khalid, a regular client at a brothel, says that after becoming familiar with certain sex workers he asks them to have sex without a condom, and most of them accept. He does not fear the risk of having unprotected sex as he follows this practice with women he trusts, he tells me.

The number of sex workers remains anonymous with no official statistics about them. The only indication of their existence on this tiny island is an official announcement in 2008 by security authorities highlighting crackdowns on prostitution. In a month-long campaign more than 150 suspects of various nationalities were arrested.

Bahrain is close to Saudi Arabia and linked with a causeway, so it is convenient for Saudis to visit Bahrain to enjoy a more open lifestyle, such as alcohol consumption and prostitution. Also, in 2009 Manama was ranked as the eighth top sin city in the world.

It is easy for Bahrainis to reject the licensing of sex workers because to the majority of them, prostitution exists outside their lives. This is similar to my experience, as the three women I interviewed for this article might be the first sex workers I have ever engaged in long conversations. I might have seen them at shopping malls or public places, but never realized they are prostitutes.

An Islamic country, locals here consider sexual relations outside marriage a major sin, although this country is not perfect, as sex commonly occurs among unmarried partners and married couples who are having extramarital affairs.

Writing about this topic haunted me since I attended the press conference by Dr. Al Jowder held last October to announce the outcomes of the AIDS conference, which she attended last summer. The rejection of licensing sex workers was mentioned in general, and was not the focus of the event – but to me it was, as no one should be denied help when they cannot defend themselves. Bahrain’s National AIDS Prevention Committee cannot be fully praised of its wonderful efforts, unless addressing all issues, including sex workers.

Denying healthcare for any segment of society based on their lifestyle is against human rights principles. Officials could find solutions to deal with the problem by offering more frequent health checkups for expatriates, who represent the majority of cases involved in prostitution. Tests for HIV/AIDS and other STDs should be introduced as part of regular health services for locals. This measure should not be enforced in isolation, but with ongoing public campaigns to bring understanding about the need for protection for sex workers.