NCJ Number
161665
Date Published
1995
Length
10 pages
Annotation
After examining the prevalence of drug abuse by women in the Slovak Republic, this paper discusses drug abuse and HIV infection among prostitutes, as well as legislative and preventive measures to combat drug abuse.
Abstract
Data for 1992 show that 2,671 persons registered in outpatient drug clinics in the Slovak Republic. Of these, 967 were women. A total of 646 women (66.8 percent of the women treated) had abused hypnotics and sedatives. A total of 149 women (15.4 percent of the women treated) had abused other psychoactive drugs. Prostitution is legal in the Slovak Republic. A woman who wants to become a legal prostitute need only come to the trade office with a report on whether she has already been prosecuted by the court and with a health report. She can then receive a trade license, with the requirements that she have regular medical examinations and that she pay taxes. Despite this simple procedure, there is not one officially registered prostitute in the country. An unofficial sex industry thrives, however. Owners of erotic clubs prefer that their prostitutes be drug users, since the owners believe this enables them to service more customers. As of April 30, 1993, there were 20 HIV positive people in Slovakia, with only one being a woman. A 1993 proposal for a governmental antidrug policy emphasizes the need for new legislation regarding the criminalization of drug use and dealing, along with new prevention and treatment measures. Currently, there are two functioning drug treatment centers in Slovakia, and two more are just beginning operations. 1 table and 5 figures