Pangasinan State University

Social Sciences Department

Bayambang, Pangasinan

Prostitution, Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Human

Trafficking

Prostitution, the practice of engaging in relatively indiscriminate

sexual activity, in general with someone who is not a spouse or a
friend, in exchange for immediate payment in money or other valuables.

Prostitutes may be female or male or transgender, and

prostitution may entail heterosexual or homosexual activity, but
historically most prostitutes have been women and most clients
men.

Perceptions of prostitution are based

on culturally determined values that
differ between societies.
In some societies, prostitutes
have been viewed as members of a
recognized profession; in others
they have been shunned, reviled,
and punished with stoning, imprisonment, and death.
Few societies have exercised the same severity toward clients; indeed, in
many societies, clients suffer few if any legal repercussions.

In some cultures, prostitution has been required of young girls as a rite

of puberty or as a means of acquiring a dowry, and some religions
have required prostitution of a certain class of priestesses.
The ancient Greeks and Romans mandated that prostitutes wear
distinctive dress and pay severe taxes.
Hebrew law did not forbid prostitution but confined the practice to
foreign women. Among the ordinances laid down by Moses to regulate
public health were several dealing with sexually transmitted diseases.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/prostitution
PROSTITUTION IN THE
PHILIPPINES

Even though it is widely practiced,

prostitution is illegal in the
Philippines.
There is an organized movement
to make prostitution a legal
activity in the Philippines. By one estimate a half a million women
prostitute themselves.

There are basically three kinds of prostitutes in the Philippines:

1) those that work out of “casas,” or brothels, and are employed by
pimps or brothel owners:
2) those who work in bars, karaokes and hotels, who are usually
controlled by the owners of the establishment where they work; and
3) freelancers, who work the streets. Brothels are often disguised as
restaurants.

Most of the men who use prostitutes in the Philippines are locals not
foreigners.
You would not get this impression by visiting one of the better known as
red light districts. Local tend to use community-, neighborhood- and
town- based brotherl and sex workers.
In Angeles City, near Clark Air
base, there is one street with bars
for foreigners on one side, and bars
for locals on the other.

Many prostitutes work for pimps.

One Filipinos social worker in Cebu
told the Japan Times,

“There are two type of pimps.

The Amou, or maintainers, who recruit and take care of the girls, and
make sure they do not run away. They also push drugs on the girls.
The Iti, or wild ducks, chase customers, and bring them to the girls.”
Former prostitute Liza Gonzales told the Philippines Inquirer,
“Women in this field are often looked at as sinners and home
wreckers. “But we are not criminals … We are actually victims,”
Gonzales said. “Some are victims of rape or incest. Some are girls
from rural areas who were fooled by illegal recruiters … We are
victims of different circumstances, but we all fell into
prostitution,” she said. [Source: Rima Jessamine M. Granali, Philippine
Daily Inquirer, September 26, 2011

The police arguably do more to abet

prostitution than stop it. One sex
worker told the Philippine Inquirer:
“When cops like the apprehended
woman, she is forced to have sex
with them.” Nowadays, “kotong”
(bribe) ranges from P3,000 to P4,500,
and transactions begin even before they
reach the precinct, she said.

Transvestites also participate in prostitution, especially with

unwary foreigners. Male homosexuals and child prostitutes who created
Asia’s reputation for sex tourism are concentrated in major metropolitan
cities

https://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Philippines/sub5_6e/entry-
3895.html

What are STDs?

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), also known as sexually

transmitted infections (STIs), are very common. Millions of new
infections occur every year in the United States.

STDs pass from one person to another through vaginal, oral, and
anal sex. They also can spread through intimate physical contact
like heavy petting, though this is not very common.
STDs don’t always cause symptoms or may only cause mild
symptoms. Therefore, it is possible to have an infection and not
know it.
That is why getting an STD test is important if you are having sex.
If you receive a positive STD diagnosis, know that all are treatable
with medicine and some are curable entirely.

STDs are preventable. If you have sex, know how to protect yourself
and your sex partner(s) from STDs.

https://www.cdc.gov/std/general/default.htm

Every year, almost 20 million adults in the United States contract

a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Here are seven of the most
common sexual infections.

couple-relaxing-outside
Some of the most common STDs don’t cause symptoms, but they can still
lead to serious health problems. Learning about STDs can help protect your
health now and in the future.

1. Genital Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

New cases each year in the United States: More than 14 million.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection. There are more
than 40 types of HPV. They can infect the genitals, mouth or throat.
Most men and women who are sexually active will get at least one
type of HPV at some point in their life.

HPV spreads from one person to another through vaginal, anal or oral sex.
You can get the virus even if your partner has no symptoms.
Fortunately, vaccines protect people against many types of HPV.

HPV infections are usually not harmful. They often go away on their
own within two years. The problem is some types of HPV can lead
to serious health problems. These include genital warts and cervical
cancer. Most people infected with HPV have no symptoms until they
develop other health issues.

2. Chlamydia
New cases each year in the United States: Almost 3 million.

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection. Possible signs of infection are a

discharge from the penis or vagina and burning during urination.
However, most people with chlamydia have no symptoms.

Chlamydia spreads through sexual contact with the penis, vagina, mouth
or anus of an infected person. A pregnant woman can pass chlamydia to
her baby during childbirth. Even if you’ve been treated for chlamydia
in the past, you can get the infection again.

Your doctor can treat chlamydia with antibiotics. Without treatment,

chlamydia can lead to serious health problems.
It also is known to cause infertility. Women can develop pelvic
inflammatory disease. Men can develop a condition that causes painful
inflammation of the tube that helps carry sperm.

3. Trichomoniasis
New cases each year in the United States: More than 1 million.

This infection comes from a parasite that passes from one person
to another during sex.
It can spread from a man to a woman, a woman to a man, or from one
woman to another woman.
Women usually develop the infection inside the vagina or the urethra.
Men can develop trichomoniasis inside the penis. The infection usually
doesn’t spread to the mouth, anus or other parts of the body.

Most people with trichomoniasis don’t

have symptoms. Sometimes infected
people experience itching or burning
during urination. Discharge from the
penis or the vagina is another sign of
trichomoniasis. These symptoms may come and go. It takes antibiotics to
get rid of the infection.

4. Gonorrhea
New cases each year in the United States: More than 800,000.

This STD occurs when bacteria infects the lining of a woman's

reproductive tract. Gonorrhea can also develop in the urethra, mouth,
throat, eyes and anus of both men and women.

Gonorrhea spreads through sexual contact with the penis, vagina, mouth
or anus of an infected person. A pregnant woman can pass gonorrhea to
her baby during childbirth.

People with gonorrhea often have

mild or no symptoms.
Signs of the infection include painful
urination and white, yellow or green
discharge from the penis or vagina. Men
may develop pain in their testicles.
Women can also have vaginal bleeding
between periods.

Treatment involves two different antibiotics. Without treatment,

gonorrhea can lead to serious health problems. Women can develop pelvic
inflammatory disease. This increases women’s risk of infertility and serious
complications during pregnancy. Men with untreated gonorrhea can
develop inflammation of the tube that helps carry sperm, which can lead to
infertility.

5. Genital Herpes
New cases each year in the United States: Almost 800,000.

This infection comes from the herpes simplex virus (HSV), type 1
or type 2. You can get herpes by having vaginal, anal or oral sex with
someone who is infected.
 Some people with herpes have mild symptoms. Some have none at all.
Other people have outbreaks of lesions that look like blisters
around their genitals, rectum or mouth. These blisters can break
open and become painful sores that take a long time to heal.

The fluid inside herpes sores contains the virus. You can become
infected if you come in contact with it because the virus can spread
through the skin. Infected people can pass the virus to their partners even
if they don't have sores. Outbreaks of genital herpes can happen
again and again. But the outbreaks usually become shorter and
less severe over time.

There is no cure for herpes. But your doctor can prescribe medicines
that help prevent and shorten outbreaks and ease the pain.

6. Syphilis
New cases each year in the United States: About 55,000.

Syphilis is an infection caused by bacteria. Sores may develop on the

genitals and lips, and in the mouth. The infection spreads through
contact with these sores during vaginal, anal or oral sex. A pregnant
woman can pass syphilis to her baby.

It can take up to 90 days after exposure

for syphilis symptoms to appear. The
infection progresses in stages that can last for
weeks or even years. After sores appear, a
skin rash develops. This can show up on the
palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
In some cases, the rash can be all over
the body. Left untreated, syphilis can
cause serious health problems. They
include brain damage, paralysis,
blindness, and dementia. In extreme cases, syphilis can be fatal.

Syphilis is treated with antibiotics to kill the bacteria. The more quickly
you get syphilis treatment, the more completely you will recover.
7. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
New cases each year in the United States: More than 41,000.

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. When it enters the body, the
virus attacks the immune system. It destroys certain white blood
cells the body needs to fight off infections. Without enough of these
cells, people with HIV develop other serious diseases, such as pneumonia
or tuberculosis.

HIV can’t survive for long outside the body. It spreads from person to
person through contact with bodily fluids, such as blood and semen during
vaginal and anal sex.
It's possible to get HIV through oral sex, but this is not common. A
pregnant woman can pass HIV to her baby during pregnancy or while
breastfeeding. You can also get the virus from sharing needles or
syringes with an infected person.

There is no cure for HIV. But treatment with several different types of
medication helps people live longer and maintain an active life. The
medicine also reduces the chances of spreading the virus to
others.

The fact that some STDs cause symptoms and some don’t is one of
the reasons why STD testing is so important.

https://www.healthgrades.com/right-care/sexual-health/7-most-common-
sexually-transmitted-diseases

Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer,

harbouring or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception, with the
aim of exploiting them for profit. Men, women and children of all ages
and from all backgrounds can become victims of this crime, which
occurs in every region of the world.
The traffickers often use violence or fraudulent employment
agencies and fake promises of education and job opportunities to
trick and coerce their victims.
https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/human-trafficking.html

People can be trafficked and exploited in many forms, including

being forced into sexual exploitation, labour, begging, crime (such as
growing cannabis or dealing drugs), domestic servitude, marriage or organ
removal and child labor.

Human trafficking in numbers

51% of identified victims of trafficking are women, 28% children
and 21% men
72% people exploited in the sex industry are women
63% of identified traffickers were men and 37% women
43% of victims are trafficked domestically within national borders
(Estimates by The United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime
(UNODC)

How do people get entangled in

trafficking?
People trapped by traffickers are
mostly trying to escape poverty
or discrimination, improve their
lives and support their families.

Vulnerable people are often forced to take unimaginable risks to

try and escape poverty or persecution, accepting precarious job
offers and making hazardous migration decisions, often
borrowing money from their traffickers in advance.

Like any business, human trafficking typically depends on

transportation systems to operate. Traffickers may recruit victims
from bus and train stations and will
utilize transportation systems to
both bring new victims to their
trafficking operations as well as to
transport current victims to different
places where they will be trafficked and
abused.
 Access to transportation is a key obstacle for many survivors trying to
leave their trafficking situation.

When they arrive they find that the work does not exist, or
conditions are completely different. They become trapped, reliant on
their traffickers and extremely vulnerable. Their documents are
often taken away and they are forced to work until their debt is
paid off.

https://www.antislavery.org/slavery-today/human-trafficking/

Pangasinan State University

Social Sciences Department
Bayambang, Pangasinan

Abortion
Abortion definitions can vary. According to the World Health
Organization (WHO), abortion is defined as a pregnancy termination
prior to 20 weeks' gestation.
Abortion definitions can vary. According to the World Health
Organization (WHO), abortion is defined as a pregnancy
termination prior to 20 weeks' gestation.

Definitions of abortion can vary and

there is often controversy defining
what abortion means. The definitions
of abortion often reflect not just scientific
knowledge, but social and political
opinions.

The World Health Organization

(WHO) defines abortion as
pregnancy termination prior to 20 weeks' gestation.

Generally, abortion is a term that refers to the termination of a

pregnancy, whether it occurs with medical intervention such as medications
or surgical procedures or whether it occurs on its own, such as a
miscarriage.

Spontaneous abortion is another term for miscarriage, which refers to

a pregnancy loss that occurs before the 20th week of gestation or the
expulsion an embryo or fetus weighing 500 g or less.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defines a legally induced

abortion “as an intervention
performed by a licensed
clinician (e.g., a physician,
nurse-midwife, nurse
practitioner, physician
assistant) within the limits of state
regulations that is intended to
terminate a suspected or known
ongoing intrauterine pregnancy and
that does not result in a live birth.”
The U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion in the Roe vs. Wade
decision in 1973. Since that decision, numerous Federal and state
laws have been proposed or passed. Abortion remains a
controversial area in the field of medicine.
https://www.emedicinehealth.com/what_is_abortion_according_to_who/
article_em.htm

Abortion in the Philippines

According to a national 2004 survey of women of reproductive age,

individuals who have abortions are similar to Filipino women overall:
They are typically Catholic, are married, are mothers and have at
least a high school education.
The most common reason women identified for having an abortion—cited
by nearly three in four—was the inability to afford the cost of raising
a child or an additional child. More than half of those who had had an
abortion said they underwent the procedure because they felt they
already had enough children or that their pregnancy came too
soon after their last birth.
Nearly one-third of women felt that their pregnancy would
endanger their health, and another third believed that their
partner or another family member did not want or support the
pregnancy. Perhaps most disturbingly, 13% of women who had had
an abortion cited pregnancy as a result of forced sex as their
reason for getting an abortion.

Not surprisingly, larger proportions of poor women than of their nonpoor

counterparts cited economic reasons for having an abortion, and roughly
two-thirds of women who had had an abortion were poor.
Women younger than 25, who accounted for 46% of abortion
attempts in the 2004 survey, also
cited reasons related to their age—they
wanted to avoid interrupting their
schooling, had problems with their
partner or considered themselves too
young to have a baby.
 Among all the women interviewed, economic reasons and being
unmarried or too young were cited as the most important reasons
for why women obtain abortions, illustrating that many Filipino women
who have not had an abortion understand why other women choose to
have one.

Most women who had had an abortion had discussed the matter with at
least one person, but fewer than half had discussed it with their partner,
suggesting that in many cases women feel that their partner will
not be supportive of their situation or decision.
4 Nearly one-third of women who get an abortion do not tell
anyone, highlighting how stigmatized abortion is in the
Philippines.

https://www.guttmacher.org/report/unintended-pregnancy-and-unsafe-
abortion-philippines-context-and-consequences

Basic Facts about Abortion by Amnesty

International

1. People do abortions all the time

regardless of what the law says.

2. Criminalizing abortion does not

stop it. It just makes abortion less
safe.

3. Almost every death and injury from

unsafe abortion is preventable.

4. Many countries are starting to change their laws to allow for

greater access to abortion.

5. Criminalizing or restricting abortion prevents doctors from

providing care. (The case of Irish Claire Malone)

6. It’s not just cisgender women and girls who need abortion.
7. Criminalizing abortion is a form of discrimination which
further fuels stigma.

8. Access to safe abortion is a matter of human right.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/sexual-and-reproductive-
rights/abortion-facts/