The clients of sex workers reflect a cross

The clients of sex workers reflect a cross-section of the population, representing all ages,
economic classes, and ethnic backgrounds. In some cases, sex work clients include women.
In many countries, men who buy sex represent the most important source of new HIV
infections, risking HIV transmission to their wives and partners58. HIV information and
services must be accessible for those who purchase sex. Specific education campaigns must
be developed with and for clients, who can be reached not only in sex work settings but
in other occupational and recreational environments. Successful service delivery strategies
for clients include those focusing on truck drivers; heavy transport; tourists and business
travellers; men who are separated from their families for long periods; migrants; uniformed
services, including police; construction, mining and infrastructure projects; or seafarers.
In devising strategies to reach sex work clients, programme planners should engage sex
workers, who can help identify settings where sex work occurs59. Clients who are reached
with educational and prevention programmes can become a positive force for demanding
safer sex. In addition to messages about safer sex, condom usage and health seeking behaviours,
programmes focused on clients should encourage clients to behave respectfully and
responsibly toward sex workers, and should include zero tolerance for violence and abuse.
Reaching the spouses and regular partners of clients is also important to effective HIV
prevention. Prevention strategies should use sexual and reproductive health services as an
entry point for HIV prevention, counselling, testing and referral services for women, men
and transgender people (including those providing prevention of mother-to-child transmission
and treatment for sexually transmitted infections).