Helping
Individual Prostitutes Survive (aka
H.I.P.S.) is a
DC based organization that gives
compassionate
aid to prostitutes in the form of
condoms,
AIDS education, food, clothing, and
advocacy.
They have a
24-hour hotline for
women in trouble, and run a
van service from which they
distribute legal information on dealing with police,
candy for
elevation of the blood sugar of women who are denied food "
on the track", and condoms of
all kinds.
They also run a series of
AIDS educational sessions complete with a
hot meal called
DIVAS Against AIDS.
They perform
social services and
case management of women in trouble.
H.I.P.S. runs under a
philosophy they call "
harm reduction," in that they
cultivate a
positive self image among prostitutes, aid them in
survival, aid them in escaping
pimps and getting back on their feet, and help them know their
legal rights.
Oftentimes prostitutes are treated as
less than people by police and others. H.I.P.S. looks beyond the
stigma and reaches out with compassion to prostitutes as women and as
human beings.
Contact Info:
Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive
P.O. Box 21394
Washington, DC 20009
phone: 202.232.8150 fax: 202.232.8304
HOTLINE: 1-800-676-HIPS
http://www.hips.org
hipsinc@erols.com