NGO Urges Better Access to Health Services for Sexual Minorities

TaiwanPlus News

Local NGO Know HIV by Heart is urging the government and private enterprises to help create more transparent sexual health and HIV prevention resources for at-risk groups, including sex workers and transgender people.

Transcript

00:00It's been nearly four decades since Taiwan reported its first HIV case.

00:04And while sexual health awareness around gay men has grown since then,

00:08sex workers and transgender people still fall outside of the discussion.

00:12A new white paper report from local NGO Non-HIV by Heart

00:15finds that many from these marginalized groups

00:18lack knowledge of how to prevent or get help for HIV,

00:21and the barrier to public resources and professional help persists.

00:30Sex workers are at high risk of contracting HIV,

00:47and physicians are often more likely to prescribe them pre-exposure medication like PrEP.

00:52But without a legal way to prove their work status

00:54and a hesitancy among sex workers to see doctors,

00:57many do not get access to these treatments.

01:01And for transgender people,

01:02there are added risks of taking PrEP as they undergo transition.

01:21Advocates in the medical and research field today

01:24say structural changes are needed to spark more public discussions about sexual health,

01:29including those around prevention and treatment.

01:31民间团体的话主要就是整合这些资源,

01:34然后直接是服务它面对的这些社群朋友.

01:39民间团体的力量其实不够,

01:41其实我们还是会需要说工单位的这些资源之外,

01:45其实我觉得来自私人的这些,

01:48比如说企业啊,这些资源,

01:50其实也很重要.

01:52Professionals today hope with more help from the public and private stakeholders,

01:56they will be able to guide more minority individuals

01:58to the medical help they need and ensure their safety at work.

02:02Ryan Wu, Nairing Lin, in Taipei, for Taiwan Plus.

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