Global Women's Voices: Share Personal Stories

Connie, El Salvador

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I was a sex worker who used condoms in the metropolitan are of San Salvador. In this area there is a more information about condom use and many sew workers have the information they need to protect themselves. In rural areas though, it's more difficult because women aren't informed and that is where there are most abortions.

I began working as a sex worker when I was 18 years old. I didn't know what family planning was and when I was 20 I got pregnant. A friend advised me to get an abortion even though if I was caught I would be jailed. Four years later I wasn't careful and became pregnant again. I had another abortion because my life conditions were really bad.

In those days if they caught you having an abortion you were jailed, but now the laws are even stricter and its a lot harder to access an abortion. Many women have the babies instead. En rural areas, since there isn't the practice of abortions, women wait nine months and give birth which is very difficult, and then they leave the babies in latrines.

They have no other option because the situation is so difficult. I now work en those rural areas selling condoms and teaching prevention. More than anything women need to be the ones who buy condoms because men here in El Salvador aren’t responsible. They believe that condoms cause cancer or leave them unable to urinate.

updated: 7/2/2004