Uncovering the Dark World of Prostitution and STDs in China’s Grey Market
As news of the “HIV-infected prostitute” incident in Guizhou continues to unfold, it is becoming increasingly shocking, tearing apart the veil of shame for those involved.
The People’s Court of Libo County in Guizhou Province recently concluded a case in which Zhang, a carrier of the HIV virus, engaged in sexual activity with Wei for 30 yuan, despite knowing her condition. Zhang was apprehended by the police and administratively detained for ten days.
In April 2020, Zhang engaged in sexual activity with Yang for the same amount and was similarly caught and fined 500 yuan by the police. The public prosecution accused Zhang of spreading sexually transmitted diseases, and the court ultimately convicted her of the crime, sentencing her to ten months in prison and a 1,000 yuan fine. The confiscated illegal gains of 60 yuan were also seized and handed over to the state treasury by law.
So, what is the crime of spreading sexually transmitted diseases? It refers to knowingly engaging in prostitution or soliciting prostitution while having severe sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis and gonorrhoea.
The punishment for spreading sexually transmitted diseases is imprisonment for up to five years, detention or control, and a fine.
Zhang knew she was a carrier of the HIV virus but still engaged in prostitution repeatedly. She committed the crime intentionally. Some may argue that Zhang engaged in prostitution knowing she was a carrier of the HIV virus but did not infect anyone else. Does her behaviour still constitute a crime of spreading sexually transmitted diseases?
The answer is yes because the fact that the act of spreading sexually transmitted diseases does not actually cause others to suffer from serious sexually transmitted diseases does not affect the establishment of the offence.
Prostitution is a frequently prohibited activity that has spawned a grey industry chain. The traces of prostitution can be seen everywhere, in hotels, alleyways, and guesthouses, among other places.
We might see the following warning message in a hotel room: “Cherish life; stay away from pornography, gambling, and drugs.” Why do such warnings appear in hotel rooms? It is because prostitution is prevalent and accessible to occur in hotels.
Those who have stayed in a hotel may be familiar with this phenomenon: at night, someone will stuff small cards under the room door with various images of beautiful women, such as hot beauties, pure beauties, and mature women, among others. Some advertising slogans entice male customers, so male customers should exercise self-discipline and self-control and avoid temptation. Otherwise, they may contract a disease and ruin their lives.
In the women’s restroom on a college campus, we might see small ads like “High-paying part-time jobs, please contact xxx,” “Colorless services, high-paying part-time jobs, monthly income of over ten thousand,” “High-paying part-time jobs, female students are preferred, monthly income of over ten thousand,” and so on. Why do these ads appear in the women’s restroom on a college campus? Because those who post advertisements understand the needs of college students. Freshmen do not have a source of income, and many students are reluctant to ask their families for money. Therefore, students prefer to find part-time jobs to earn a living.
Seeing such advertisements, it is difficult to resist the curiosity of what kind of part-time job can earn over ten thousand yuan a month. Under the impetus of this curiosity, one may gradually fall into the abyss and destroy their life.
Citations:
- “贵州“艾滋病卖淫女”事件，越深挖越吓人，撕碎了谁的遮羞布” (普法小小课堂)
- “China’s fight against the spread of sexually transmitted infections and HIV” (WHO)
- “Sex workers’ vulnerability to HIV, hepatitis B and sexually transmitted infection in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis” (PubMed)
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