Welfare and healthcare services for sex workers

1. Sex workers in need of welfare services may receive counselling and welfare assistance provided by the 65 IFSCs and two ISCs. Social workers will thoroughly assess and take care of the specific needs of service users and provide them with appropriate services, such as financial relief, counselling, referral services, etc., to help them tide over the hardship. Social workers of SWD will render statutory supervision to sex workers below the age of 18 by way of initiating Care or Protection proceedings pursuant to the Protection of Children and Juveniles Ordinance (Cap. 213) if necessary. Residential care may be arranged as appropriate to ensure the provision of adequate care to prevent them from being exploited.
2. Free regular check-up, screening, treatment, counselling and education services for the prevention of Sexually Transmitted Disease are offered to sex workers who are local residents in six STD clinics of DH.
3. The AIDS Unit in DH carries out HIV prevention health promotion programmes, offers free HIV testing and counselling services, and provides an integrated public health and clinical programmes for the general public and at-risk population, including female sex workers.
4. The Government also supports and subsidises NGOs to run HIV prevention, testing and care programmes for women including female sex workers through the AIDS Trust Fund.