Senegal

Is selling sex criminalised?
Selling sex is legal in Senegal only if sex workers register and have regular medical check ups. Only about a quarter of sex workers are registered in Senegal. The rest are working illegally. In addition it is illegal to solicit.
Is buying sex criminalised?
No
Is organising/managing criminalised?
Yes - "pimping", acting as an intermediary, owning a ‘prostitution establishment’ and 'living with a person habitually engaged in prostitution' are all illegal. Authorities also tightly regulate locations of commercial sex businesses.
Is there mandatory HIV/STI testing?
Yes - if registered - have to have health check ups every month
Is there mandatory registration?
Yes - to work legally must register and carry with them at all times a "Carnet Sanitaire"
If sex work is regulated, is it in line with other work, or are the regulations unfair or overly restrictive?
No - restrictions are onerous
Is sex work recognised as work?
No
Is sex work decriminalised with limited regulation?
No
Sources/further reading
Sexual Rights Initiative Database, available at https://sexualrightsdatabase.org/page/welcome Senegal Penal Code - https://www.equalrightstrust.org/sites/default/files/ertdocs//CODE%20PE… Mgbako, C., & Smith, L. A. (2010). Sex work and human rights in Africa. Fordham International Law Journal, 33, 1178. ; Homaifar, N., & Wasik, S. Z. (2005). Interviews with Senegalese commercial sex trade workers and implications for social programming. Health care for women international, 26(2), 118-133.; Wang, C., Hawes, S. E., Gaye, A., Sow, P. S., Ndoye, I., Manhart, L. E., ... & Kiviat, N. B. (2007). HIV prevalence, previous HIV testing, and condom use with clients and regular partners among Senegalese commercial sex workers. Sexually transmitted infections, 83(7), 534-540.;
Contact
If you have something to add, please email communications@nswp.org