85% of prostitutes in camps have STDs

Of the 14,000 sex workers held in Vietnam rehabilitation camps, around 85 percent are infected with sexually transmitted diseases said a MOLISA* official on Dec. 24. Between 20 and 25 percent are HIV positive; other common diseases in the camps include gonorrhea and syphillis. Under Vietnamese law women convicted of prostitution are sent to these camps, but most return to their profession after being released. Vietnam passed a regulation earlier this month banning people under age 18 from working in twelve different types of work environments, including karaoke bars and massage parlors. (Deutsche Press-Agentur Dec. 24). *MOLISA = Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.