Ukraine's prostitutes hope to cash in on Euro 2012
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Yulia, a 20-year-old call girl, is awaiting Euro 2012 with a mix of excitement and dread. She's upped her rates in the hope of earning enough to go to college next year, but "every girl is afraid," she admits. "Anything can happen."
Ukraine has a booming prostitution industry - and the already high number of women scouting the streets, bars and hotels of the country's four host cities for clients is expected to spike even further this month as hundreds of thousands of football fans converge on the country.
Experts are warning about the high risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases: Some 1.1 percent of the adult population and nearly one out of 10 prostitutes are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, according to the United Nations AIDS agency.
"They will be playing Ukrainian roulette," said Kostiantyn Pertsovskyi, spokesman for the International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Ukraine, which will be handing out nearly 1 million condoms to fans and prostitutes during the tournament. "If a fan is not using a condom, he has a very good chance of getting infected."
La Strada, a Ukrainian women's rights group, is particularly concerned about an increase of underage prostitution, with scores of orphaned or destitute teenagers lured - and often forced - to service clients.
Yulia, who declined to give her last name for fear of being prosecuted, has been studying basic English words, communicating with prospective clients online and assembling a new wardrobe of flashy dresses and high-heeled shoes. She's also been learning what she calls "European manners."
She plans to raise her hourly rate of 600 hryvna ($75; (euro) 60) to 900 hryvna ($115; (euro) 90) and hopes to save enough money to go to college next year to study music and fulfill her life dream of becoming a singer.
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