A recent report has revealed that the youngest starting sex worker in Fiji is nine years old.
The Integrated Bio-logical Behavioural Surveillance Survey and Size Estimation of Sex Workers in Fiji revealed that thirty-three percent of people surveyed became sex workers because their friends were doing it, thirty-one percent thought it was a good way to earn a living and twenty-five percent did it to support their children and family.
The survey also established that sixty-three percent of all sex workers use the streets as their location of work.
Majority of the clients are professionals and businesspeople.
This make up 29 percent of the clients.
This is followed by tourists, taxi drivers, police officers, sports people, soldiers, sailors, expatriates, government officials, church ministers and other groups.
Ministry of Health National Adviser Family Health, Dr Rachel Devi said this survey has enabled them to identify the gaps regarding sex workers.
She recommends that there should be an ongoing education on HIV and AIDS, more accessibility to condoms and easy access to health services for sex workers.
Dr Devi also said that peer educators encourage sex workers under the age of eighteen to stop what they are doing and go back to school as it is vital and important for them.
