Во Македонија постојат голем број на сексуални работници кои живеат во страв од насилство, осуди, дискриминација и голема стигма. Стравот се јавува поради побројните законски мерки, со кои се ограничуваат основните права и слободи на сексуалните работници.
(06.10.2008) Во издание на СТАР, а со подршка од ХОПС, SWAN и SHARP овој месец од печат излезе првиот број на списанието Од нас за нас. Се предвидува списанието да излегува секој месец.
Лична карта на Коалицијата „Сексуални и Здравствени права на маргинализирани заедници“ (СЗПМЗ)
ВИЗИЈА
Коалицијата „Сексуални и Здравствени права на маргинализирани заедници“ (СЗПМЗ) се залага за свет во кој сите луѓе подеднакво и без дискриминација ги уживаат универзалните човековите права и каде почитувањето на различностите и правото на избор се основни приниципи за здраво, демократско и слободно општество.
Immune System – defense system, or a collection of cells which are found in blood and human organs; their main function is to fight against external microorganisms that attack human organism. Healthy immune system makes our body resistible to a large number of infections; Immune Deficiency – a condition characterized by a weakness of the immune system which causes its malfunction, that is, the immune system is no longer capable of protecting the body against infections; HIV – Human Immune Deficiency Virus; HIV+ - presence of HIV in the blood of the person confirmed by suitable HIV tests; HIV− - non-existence of HIV in the blood of the person confirmed with suitable HIV tests; HIV Tests – a combination of tests for acknowledgment of the existence of antibodies for HIV in the blood. First of all, two ELISA tests (immune-enzyme tests for the existence of antibodies for HIV) are conducted, and if both are HIV+ a third verification test is carried out, the Western blot test. AIDS/HIV – Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; syndrome in medicine refers to a combination of symptoms (signs) of a certain disease. It is characterized by general signs of infection which the HIV virus can cause, such as high temperature, diarrhea, nausea and the like. AIDS refer to a condition marked by a decrease of a certain class of white blood cells (CD 4 T-Ls) below a certain number/value; it is a condition in which the immune system of the human organism becomes susceptible to a lot of infections. Opportunistic infections – infections, such as bacterial, viral, parasitical, and fungal infections as well as neo-plastic (tumor) processes, that attack the human organisms and cause the clinical condition of AIDS (most of the infections are such that cannot attack an organism with healthy immune system);Ways of HIV virus transmission: 1. Blood and blood products: Blood - Blood contact between two people (open wounds, use of the same needles and syringes among intravenous drug users, untested blood transfusion); Blood products – transfusion of untested blood plasma, blood cells etc. (Transfusion is no longer considered as a way of virus transmission because each blood unit is tested for HIV); 2. Sexual way - The most common way of virus transmission today is the unsafe sexual intercourse (vaginal, anal and oral sex); 3. Mother-child A pregnant woman having the virus can infect the baby through the placenta. That is why pregnancy is a contraindication for HIV+ women. An HIV+ mother who breastfeeds her baby can transmit the virus through her milk.HIV Testing:1. Clinic for Infectious Diseases and Febrile States2.State Health Care Institute3. Clinical Biochemistry Institute4. HIV/AIDS Information and prevention
Gender Identity Gender identity refers to each person’s deeply felt internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond with the sex assigned at birth, including the personal sense of the body (which may involve, if freely chosen, modification of bodily appearance or function by medical, surgical or other means) and other expressions of gender, including dress, speech and mannerisms;
The umbrella term transgender is used for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. The term may include, but is not limited to: transsexuals, intersex people, cross-dressers, and other gender variant people. ILGA-Europe is aware that the issues relating to intersex people can be significantly different and need to be addressed separately where relevant. Transsexual (or “trans”) persons are individuals who identify with a different sex than that associated with the biological sex that was ascribed to them at birth. A transsexual person can be male-to-female or female-to-male. Additionally, some people who are undergoing hormone therapy, but who do not intend to undergo surgery, also refer to themselves as transsexual.
Transsexual women who were born biologically male are often referred to as MTF, which stands for male-to-female. Transsexual men who were born biologically female are often referred to as FTM, which stands for female-to-male. Transgender and transsexual people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bi or any other sexual orientation. In other words, sexual orientation and gender identity are independent of each other. (The definitions presented here for sexual orientation and gender identity find source in definitions offered by the Centre for Women and Men at UCLA, http://www.thecenter.ucla.edu/sexorien.html)
MSM MSM (men who have sex with men or ‘men having sex with men’, or ‘sex between men’) is a public health term describing any man who has sex with another man, whether occasionally, regularly, or as an expression of a gay identity. The term is meant to be descriptive without attaching an identity or meaning to the behaviour, so that health interventions -especially HIV/AIDS education and services - can be directed to persons on the basis of need. UNAIDS and other policy-makers use the term to describe one of four particularly ‘marginalized groups’ – the others being sex workers, injecting drug users and prison populations (UNAIDS Global Report 2006 – see Core document 5. While useful or strategic as a term (minimum offense to hetero-centered policy), it can also be used to avoid or deny a right to an identity. The equivalent term WSW does not appear in public policy documents, although it does in research – see Supporting Document 7 – Amnesty’s Women and HIV/AIDS). (MSM description adapted from texts from the Open Society Institute, 2007 http://www.soros.org/)The largest part of the sex industry in Macedonia is performed in night clubs (usually operating as illegal brothels), bars and private apartments. Open (street) scenes are existing in limited number, “but sex workers operating there usually are most burdened with a huge number of health, social and legal problems (low level of education and information for sexual and reproductive health, sexually transmitting diseases and protection, high level of risky behaviour connected to the drug and alcohol abuse, high level of violence, stigmatization, problems with personal documentation, `inexistence` in State institutions etc.)”.
Although there is some information that sex industry exists in Macedonia, growing and expanding in the last 15 years: "The state has still not built a clear normative system with exactly defined measurements and organs which would cover the prevention and following of prostitution and all of its collateral phenomena. Thus, at the moment, we are in a situation in which the problem with prostitution is dealt with by the organs of the Ministry of Interior, as a problem of disturbing the public order, tightly connected with criminal activities, and by centres for social work which are concerned with prostitution only in specific situations encompassing social issues. In line with this differentiation, both organs have different definitions and approaches towards this social phenomenon, do not follow it systematically, and have neither records nor any other data regarding it. The health aspect of prostitution is even less cared for". In the legal regulations of the Republic of Macedonia the performance of sex work, i.e. “resorting to prostitution" is a violation against the public order (art. 27 from the Law on public order violation in R. M), while some other activities regarding sex work (procuring, encouragement, earning by facilitating the provision of sexual services) are treated and penalized as criminal offences (Art. 191 from the Criminal Law of R.M. 1996). However, in reality: "MOI makes not difference between prostitution and exploitation of prostitution, so that it undertakes measures for "eliminating prostitution", instead of "eliminating prostitution exploitation" and consequently, undertakes drastic police measures against the victims of this exploitation, instead of the exploiters". All of this affects the dignity and human rights of sex workers, bringing them under constant threat (as a result of the selective change of the law and the existing negative stereotypes), which leads to an increase in the violence and stigma, creating distrust toward institutions, marginalization and creating hard-to-reach groups most exposed to infection with STI and HIV.
Due to the described situation, in January 2000, the NGO HOPS – Healthy Options Project Skopje, which has been developing drug use harm reduction programs since 1997, created an outreach program for HIV/AIDS prevention and STI among sex workers, working on the open scene (the street) in Skopje, and later among sex workers in the Roma suburbs in Skopje and sex workers working in the close settings (private apartments, massage parlours). In line with determined needs for the contacted sex workers, which could not be met by existing institutions, HOPS upgraded its services by introducing social, health and legal support services, developed a drop in centre for sex workers, started programs targeting clients of sex workers, but also families, partners and children, and continuously works on community empowerment which leaded to establishing of a newly informal sex workers group STAR.
Still, the program which HOPS is running is the only existing one in whole country, it covers limited number of sex workers and the services provided are available only to sex workers living and working in Skopje. Governmental and political authorities don’t consider sex work to be issue for discussion, except maybe as public health and HIV/STI prevention issue (Ministry of Health and grant supported by GFATM), media treats it only trough its criminal connectivity and sensationalism, general public is ignorant and interested in moral perspective, and human and labour rights perspective is missing at all levels.
All this emphasise the need of future greater involvement of sex workers and their allies in advocating and putting the sex work on the political and public agenda not just as a public health, but also as a human right and labour issue.
Во најголем број заедници сексуалната работа се смета за општествено девијантна и неприфатлива појава, како таква се етикетира и стигматизира, со тенденција цела социјална група идентификувана како сексуални работници да се остави изолирана и надвор од системите за поддршка и заштита, што неминовно води до развивање на различи модели за опстанок и различни модели на ризично однесување. 
ХОПС - Опции за здрав живот е здружение на граѓани кое започна со работа во 1997 година како прв проект во Република Македонија за размена на опрема за инјектирање.
Дефиниции и Водечките принципи за успешни програми за интервенции во сексуално здравје
Коалицијата за сексуални и здравствени права на маргинализираните заедници најостро реагира и ги осудува страшните и грозоморни настани кои се случија во среда на 27.09 во Сараево за време на отварањето на првиот Квир Сараево Фестивал како радикален израз на насилство и екстремен случај на прекршување на човековите права и принципите на етичност и хуманост. 
