• Spa workers & sex workers increasingly coming in for testing 

In the wake of several Spa employees being identified with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) during the ongoing islandwide Police operations, the National STD/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Control Programme (NSACP) urged all individuals who are of sexually active age (15-49) to get tested for STDs, pointing out that despite a person's profession, such diseases can infect anyone.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (3), Consultant Venereologist at the NSACP Dr. Vino Dharmakulasinghe said that the risk can be different from one group to another, as some jobs could be considered more vulnerable to STDs. However, she noted that any profession cannot be specified and marginalised based on their vulnerability to the said diseases, as any person in the aforementioned sexually active age group could get easily infected with STDs despite his or her profession. 

However, Dr. Dharmakulasinghe also stated that the number of such vulnerable groups, such as spa workers and sex workers coming for tests, has increased following the recent speculations and awareness statements by various parties, noting that it would therefore be a positive step when it comes to the prevention of such community based diseases. When queried as to whether any special measure had been taken by the NSACP to test these spa workers, she said that no party would be treated specifically in the testing process, as the NSACP is committed to protecting the confidentiality of the people who seek its assistance.

Recently, around 120 young women had reportedly been taken into Police custody and subjected to medical examinations following a series of raids conducted in the Negombo Police Division. The said raids were conducted into illegal spas and massaging centres that were operating under the guise of registered Ayurvedic spas. According to Police sources, two women, including a 15-year-old girl, had tested positive for the human immunodeficiency virus, while eight other spa workers who had also contracted other community diseases had been identified during the raids.