26th International AIDS Conference 2026 in Rio de Janeiro
Article by Rebecca Angelini

The SWING Thailand workshop discussed the role of the police in HIV and STI prevention within the sex industry. SWING is an NGO that supports sex workers in Thailand, providing them with access to healthcare and counselling whilst also advocating for their rights. The organisation runs several community-led sexual health clinics aimed at sex workers and LGBTQI+ people. In addition to providing direct on-the-ground support, SWING is also committed to breaking down prejudices and raising awareness amongst the authorities about the realities of sex work.

Awareness-raising rather than control

SWING’s project for police cadets is particularly interesting. As part of a two-week placement, they work directly alongside SWING staff, without their uniforms, and in some cases also in the organisation’s clinics. There, among other things, they observe testing procedures and learn about H

A dialogue despite criminalisation

In Thailand, sex work is illegal, but, as in all countries, it still takes place. Against this backdrop, it is all the more important that the police do not merely act repressively, but are also made aware of the social and health realities within the sex industry. This is precisely where SWING’s project comes in: not with the aim of fundamentally changing the police or dismantling the power structure, but to enable even a minimal dialogue on health, protection and rights.

When awareness-raising is not enough

However, the workshop also highlighted how fragile such approaches remain. A former sex worker from North Macedonia, where sex work operates in a legal grey area, recounted the sobering experience that, whilst awareness-raising can change behaviour in the short term, this effect quickly fizzles out if it depends on the commitment of individuals or if fundamental rights are lacking. As soon as there is a change in leadership, for example, officers often revert to old patterns. In many countries, cases of police violence against sex workers are a well-known and documented problem. This makes it clear that training alone is not enough if it is not underpinned by legal certainty and structural changes.

Repression as an obstacle to prevention

Norway, on the other hand, represents a different repressive approach: the ban on the purchase of sexual services based on the so-called Swedish model. There, not only clients of sex work but also indoor establishments and sex workers themselves are affected by police repression. A participant from Norway reported that even condoms are confiscated as potential evidence for criminal proceedings. This is not only problematic from a public health perspective but also an example of how repression undermines prevention.

What does this mean for Switzerland?

For Switzerland, the issue is framed differently. Here, sex work is regulated as a legal trade, and there are certainly police units with the necessary awareness, particularly where there are indications of violence, human trafficking or exploitation. In the area of health, however, the police’s knowledge is likely to be rather limited. Therefore, the question is not so much whether the Thai model can be applied one-to-one, but rather which elements could be usefully adapted at all. Approaches that have been tried and tested in Switzerland include joint training sessions with specialist organisations to foster a better understanding of the realities of sex workers’ lives, or clear points of contact between the police, health services and social counselling.

A complement rather than a solution

At the same time, a critical distance remains necessary. The police primarily have a repressive role, and their influence on prevention is, by its very nature, limited. Precisely for this reason, one should not expect that raising police awareness can solve structural problems. It would make more sense to view such models as a complement. Low-threshold prevention and health work carried out by specialised agencies, as well as advocacy work aimed at structural improvements to the legal framework, remain central.

Dialogue as a realistic goal

The real added value of such projects perhaps lies less in bringing about fundamental changes than in clarifying roles and improving dialogue between the authorities and the community. For Switzerland, this could mean: raising awareness amongst the police with a clear focus on protection, health and rights, but with a realistic view of the repressive logic of the police as a law-enforcement body.