Member of National Parliament (MP) Virgilio da Costa Hornai has urged the government to locate prostitution hotspots to allow health staff to give sex workers health care and offer education to those affected by sexually transmitted infections. 
“I think we locate the prostitution sites, so it’s easy to control and to give them the preventative education,” MP Hornai said in Hali-Laran, Dili.
The President of Commission F (education, health, culture, veterans’ affairs and gender equality) also called on the Catholic Church to think how to protect Timorese society from this terrible disease.
“We locate the activity; it doesn’t mean we lower the morals of Timorese society but we are creating conditions to protect the people of Timor-Leste,” he said.
During the Indonesian occupation, prostitution activities were largely confined to one place, so those who wished to partake could go there, rather than to all neighborhoods.
Youth Agostinho Ximenes agreed with the plan, saying it would make it easier for the health staff to control sexually transmitted diseases.
“I see prostitution activity occurring in the neighborhoods.It’s difficult for the Ministry of Health to prevent those illnesses passed on through sexual relations such as HIV/AIDS,” Ximenes said.
Secretary of State for National Council to Combat HIV/AIDS-Timor-Leste (CNCS-TL) Daniel Marçal said HIV/AIDS was a national problem which needed the contribution and the consciousness of all people to combat.
Data for this year was not available but statistics show between 2003 and 2013, 408 people were diagnosed with the disease.
“Day by day the number is increasing as sexual activity does not stop,” Marçal said.
He urged for those who are sexually active to use condoms to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS.
