ABSTRACT
Adult prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in India is low, approximately 0.3 per cent but in terms of absolute numbers, India ranks third in the world with an estimated 23.1 million adult people living with HIV/AIDS. The qualitative field-study conducted by the first author attempted to uncover the impact of the work of Vanchit Vikas and Udaan Trust on sexual health awareness and practices of commercial sex workers (CSWs) in Budhwar Peth. Commercial sex work in India is often a consequence of social, cultural, and economic vulnerabilities. Male sex workers (MSWs) were either interviewed at the Vanchit Vikas clinic or Udaan Trust while female sex workers were interviewed solely at the Vanchit Vikas clinic, since Udaan Trust only supports MSWs and transgender sex workers (TGSWs). Thus, Udaan Trust has captured the concept of observational learning to motivate MSWs/TGSWs towards self-regulation, personal accountability and responsibility for actions, and adopting healthier behaviours.
