The Prostitution Information Center (PIC) provides information about sex work from the perspective of sex workers for anyone who is interested.
House of Hiv – House of PIC
In the history of HIV, the stories of sex workers have remained largely underexposed. The Prostitution Information Center (PIC) is participating in this exhibition to help make this group more visible.
It is important to record the stories of those who experienced the Aids epidemic while at least some of that generation are still alive. Many stories have yet to be told, while others have already been forgotten. Those need to be recorded now while there is still time. Another problem is that much of the material is scattered around. This exhibition brings it all together.
Over the years, various organisations have been working to promote the interests of sex workers. When HIV/Aids reared its head in the Netherlands in the 1980s, advocacy was fragmented. Amsterdam’s Public Health Service (GGD) was promoting prevention during consultations with clients at its outpatient STI clinic, while the Mr. A. de Graaf Foundation had been working on promoting the acceptance of sex work as legitimate work since the 1960s. In its wake, The Red Thread, an advocacy-support organisation for sex workers, was founded in 1985. PIC began combating the stigma surrounding sex work in 1994.
At the PIC there was more to see about the early years of the PIC, the impact of HIV and AIDS on sex workers, and how sex workers still face stigma today.
Photos of the exhibition:
