Prostitution in Antigua and Barbuda is legal[1] and common.[2] Related activities such as brothel keeping and solicitation are prohibited.[1] UNAIDS estimate there to be 755 prostitutes on the islands,[3] the majority are migrants from other Caribbean countries. They tend to move around the Caribbean, never staying in one territory for long.[4] In 2011, prostitution was on the rise due to poor economic conditions.[5]
In the capital, St. John's, there is a red-light district in Popeshead Street.[6] The most famous brothel in the street was Wendy's. It had operated for a number of years and was a household name on the island.[7] In 2016 the owners were charged with trafficking.[8] A 'rescue mission' raided the establishment in 2018, looking for trafficking victims. The nearby 'Jam Dung' was also raided.[9]
The NGO, 'Health, Hope and HIV Network', offers counselling and testing for HIV and other STIs to sex workers. Their motto is 'Creating Positive Change' and the organisation receives government funding.
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