My name is Emma. I am fifty years old and I am the mother of a boy who lives in the United States. I have been a sex worker for 10 years. But three years ago, I became a peer educator to my sisters here in Jonquet, the red light district of Cotonou.”

In Benin, USAID works with its partners, the Beninese Association for Social Marketing (ABMS) and PSI International, to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS. As a peer educator, Emma warns sex workers and their clients about these diseases and how to protect themselves. In addition to education, activities include screening tests and the distribution of condoms. Emma and her peers feel this is a beneficial action that speaks directly to them in their work place.

“We, sex workers, do not always hear the messages aired on radio and television that talk about sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS. When we hear them, we do not understand the words they say. We do not read either. But thanks to women like Emma, we learn that sexually transmitted infections are dangerous for our health and we are determined to avoid any risk of contracting these diseases and passing them on to others. "For Emma, this is enough of a good reason to keep on educating other sex workers like her about the danger of AIDS.