SURVIVAL MODE
Sex workers across Botswana are increasingly turning to traditional herbs and home remedies to treat sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as shortages of medicines and condoms continue to affect public health facilities.
Many are forced to spend more on healthcare while also increasing their service prices to survive the country’s harsh economic climate. The country is struggling with rising fuel prices, public transport fare increases, expensive food items and growing rental costs, pressures that have hit vulnerable communities the hardest.
Some sex workers told The Midweek Sun that the shortage of certain medicines in hospitals and clinics has left them with little choice but to approach traditional remedies whenever they contract infections.
Others say they buy medication from private pharmacies using the little money earned from clients, while others have increased their charges to cover medical bills and transport costs.
In an interview with The Midweek Sun, Executive Director of Sisonke Botswana Organisation, Tosh Legoreng, confirmed that shortages of medicines and condoms have become a major challenge affecting sex workers in Botswana.
“It is the biggest challenge affecting sex workers in recent years. Limited access to medication for sexually transmitted infections, HIV prevention commodities and other essential healthcare services has increased the vulnerability of many sex workers,” Legoreng said.
In some cases, sex workers have resorted to traditional medicines because treatment is either unavailable or unaffordable, he confirmed. One woman operating around Gaborone West, confessed to The Midweek Sun that the
healthcare situation has become frustrating. “Sometimes you go to the clinic, and there is no medication. You are in pain but are told to come back another day. We end up looking for traditional herbs because we need immediate help,” she said.
Another sex worker said some women now avoid public hospitals altogether because they fear judgment and discrimination.
“You can spend hours at the clinic only to leave without help. Some nurses look down on sex workers. That is why some people prefer traditional medicine,” she said.
Apart from medicine shortages, the lack of condoms in some public facilities is also raising concern among sex workers and health activists. Workers say condoms are now very limited in certain clinics and health centres, increasing fears of unwanted pregnancies and untreated infections.
The fear is that continued shortages could push desperate workers into unwanted pregnancies, forcing some to turn to the black market for abortions.
Poor access to healthcare continues to expose sex workers to health and financial risks. “Yes, Sisonke has observed that the increasing cost of living, including rising fuel prices, food costs, rental expenses and healthcare-related costs, continue to place economic pressure on sex workers, as it does on many vulnerable communities,' Legoreng said.
Further, adding that as a result, some sex workers may adjust their pricing structures in an effort to cope with these financial realities and sustain their livelihoods.
Some workers interviewed by The Midweek Sun said they are now taking more clients than before in order to survive financially.
“When food prices go up and rent increases, you have no choice. Some people are desperate because they need money for transport, children and medication,” a sex worker said.
The Midweek Sun has also learnt that sex work is becoming increasingly common in Botswana’s urban centres, with some neighbourhoods now widely known as hotspots for commercial sex activity.
Areas such as Broadhurst, Old Naledi and Gaborone West are frequently associated with sex work, especially during weekends and month-end periods.
There are also growing reports of men joining the sex trade in large numbers, particularly those between the ages of 18 and 35. Some male sex workers are reportedly approaching clients near bars, fuel stations, entertainment
areas and taxi ranks, something many residents say was less visible in previous years.
Although sex work remains illegal, the industry continues to operate openly in some urban areas, while advocacy groups continue to push for structured regulation or legalisation to improve access to healthcare, protection and safety for sex workers.
However, detractors argue that legalisation would encourage immoral behaviour. The debate recently gained attention after Marulamantsi councillor Sergeant Kgosietsile tabled a motion before calling for the legalisation of commercial sex work.
Sisonke Botswana believes government and stakeholders should strengthen healthcare services targeting vulnerable communities through consistent supplies of condoms, lubricants and essential medicines in public hospitals and clinics.
The organisation also wants improved community outreach programmes, STI screening services, HIV prevention initiatives and economic empowerment opportunities.
“We believe that improving healthcare access and protection for sex workers is essential not only for individual well-being, but also for broader public health outcomes,” said Legoreng.