{"id":5291,"date":"2018-07-28T02:15:36","date_gmt":"2018-07-28T02:15:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/coyoteri.org\/wp\/?p=5291"},"modified":"2019-06-12T06:24:31","modified_gmt":"2019-06-12T06:24:31","slug":"sesta-fosta-death-aids2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coyoteri.org\/wp\/sesta-fosta-death-aids2018\/","title":{"rendered":"SESTA\/FOSTA = DEATH #AIDS2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The USA Further Endangers Sex Workers and Threatens Internet Freedoms. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Sex Workers are dying and are at an increased HIV risk under the recent passing of USA policy (SESTA\/FOSTA) with global implications. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The legislation SESTA\/FOSTA,<\/a>\u00a0 signed by President Trump on April 11th, 2018, shuts down websites where sex workers advertise, and it removes the online safety tools that sex workers use to ensure their safety.<\/span><\/p>\n

Specifically, this legislation makes it a crime to operate or manage a website that \u201cpromotes or facilitates prostitution,\u201d vastly expanding liability for sites that host any content on which sexuality may be discussed. This has far-reaching implications for safety and freedom of expression and for other countries worldwide on top of the stigma and criminalization sex workers already live under. The UK, Australia and New Zealand are already under threat of replicating these dangerous US laws.<\/span><\/p>\n

When sex workers cannot vet their clients online, they don\u2019t know if they\u2019re a potential risk. Sex workers around the world have immediately felt the effects of the new law \u2013 loss of work, bodily autonomy, and increase in violence, murder, and HIV infection. The new law also threatens those seeking or posting about harm reduction for sex workers on websites.<\/span><\/p>\n

Coyote RI ran an \u201cAfter Fosta survey”<\/a> on 260 US sex workers, within 2 weeks of Fosta being signed into law. \u00a0Those findings revealed a huge increase in violence and exploitation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Between 2003 to 2009 when indoor prostitution was decriminalized in Rhode Island, the study “Decriminalizing Indoor Prostitution: Implications for Sexual Violence and Public Health”\u00a0<\/a><\/span>revealed that gonorrhea had decreased by 40% and rape had decreased by 30%.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not only does access to online platforms help reduce violence and exploitation for sex workers. These platforms reduce the risk of violence to all women who meet men online. Scott Cunningham of Baylor University<\/a>, findings revealed that once online platforms like craigslist became available that they saw a 17% reduction in female homicides.<\/span><\/p>\n

SESTA\/FOSTA further criminalizes sex workers putting them at higher risk for violence, exploitation and contracting HIV. The most efficient way to decrease sex workers\u2019 HIV risk is to decriminalize sex work, as noted in the Lancet\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

PREVENT HIV REPEAL SESTA\/FOSTA NOW!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sex-workers from across the world attended Aids Conference 2018 and demanded the repeal of SESTA\/FOSTA. They also led direct action targeting global policymakers<\/span> demanding the repeal of “condom for evidence laws<\/a>” that undermine the health and safety of sex workers, and the general public.<\/span><\/p>\n

Julianna Brown, Health Policy Advisor of Coyote RI,\u00a0 P<\/span>resenting her Poster Project.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Sex Workers March for their Rights at #Aids2018 (Video 1)<\/strong><\/p>\n