AIDS Budget Cuts Could Worsen Peril of Prostitutes

When the federal government notified states that it will cut money for AIDS prevention, Ines Robledo began worrying about where teen-age prostitutes in Times Square will get condoms--and whether they’ll bother.

“They’re going to give up hope without us,” said Robledo, a 30-year-old outreach worker at Streetwork, a drop-in center that provides AIDS counseling to homeless teen-agers and some adults.

“The issues they face are where are they going to sleep and what they’re going to eat. They can’t think past that. They’re just going to infect each other.”

Robledo is one of dozens of outreach workers and counselors in the battle against the AIDS epidemic. Funding has been cut each year for the last several years.

Federal officials announced at the first of the year that Congress has earmarked just $129 million for grants to states for AIDS prevention this year, compared to $143.7 million last year and $159 million in 1991.

“This is the most appalling thing the government has done in the history of this epidemic,” said Teri Lewis, director of the AIDS and Adolescent Network. “Many centers are going to close down, which means people won’t get the services they need and more and more people will get infected.”

As Robledo and another counselor, 30-year-old Glenn Backes, walked down a seedy stretch of Eighth Avenue and into the Port Authority one night recently, teen-age hustlers and older prostitutes greeted them by name.

“A lot of people depend on them,” said Jessica, 14, who stood on a corner waiting for tricks.

Robledo and Backes hugged her and gave her some condoms.

“It’s very rough out here,” said Jessica, who has been living on the streets since she was kicked out of her Brooklyn home nine months ago.

“A lot of guys don’t want to use them (condoms) and a lot of kids go along with it.”

Patrons also put themselves at risk when they don’t use condoms with teen prostitutes in places like the Port Authority.

“Just before the ‘suit and tie’ goes home to New Jersey, he goes into the bathroom at the bus station and he takes a hooker in with him for $5,” Robledo said.

“The last thing he wants to use is a condom,” she said. “He doesn’t think anything will happen to him but he ends up taking AIDS home to New Jersey.”

The hustlers who languish around what is called “the cage” or “the meat rack” near a set of elevators at the Port Authority agreed--from experience.

“There are a lot of people who just want flesh on flesh and they think we’re all going to die anyway so what the hell, they won’t use anything,” 41-year-old Scearron Scott said as he accepted some condoms from Backes.

Monay Johnson, a 24-year-old transvestite prostitute, said he tries to practice safe sex with customers but often is too tired to use a condom. When he’s using crack, he said, he usually forgets altogether.

After speaking with Robledo and Backes, he took some condoms and said he wants to get tested for the AIDS virus.

“I get scared when I hear you talk about this,” he told the counselors.

Streetwork is part of Victim Services Agency. Its budget for fiscal year 1993 is just over $1 million--including about $170,000 from the federal government, said Victims Services spokeswoman Marin Gazzaniga. The rest comes from a combination of state, city and private funds.

Streetwork counselors don’t know yet what will be the impact of federal cuts on their work.

“I’m petrified about it,” said Helene Lauffer, a director at Victim Services.