Many sex workers executive grade female officers

35,000 to 47,000 full time professional prostitutes operate islandwide, says Dr.Shantha Hettiarachhi of the Health Education Bureau, quoting a recent survey.


However, if part time prostitutes also came under this survey the number could have been much more, according to Dr. Hettiarachchi.

A considerable number among these part time sex workers are said to be executive grade female officers. The Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) unit says that the number of HIV infected persons could increase with the rise in numbers of sex workers.

As of now there have been 1249 HIV infected persons out of whom 306 are AIDS patients. The STD unit says that 212 of them have already died.

There have been 44 children among AIDS patients and only 15 of them are alive today.

However, most of the HIV infected persons have contracted the disease not from sex workers but from casual acquaintances and persons known to them, according to the survey, Dr. Hettiarachchi said. (News- Lakbima)