Kate Griffin freelance journalism and editing

US charities set up to fight AIDS are now faced with a new battle: a requirement by the federal government to pledge their opposition to sex trafficking and prostitution if they want to continue receiving federal funds.

The anti-prostitution pledge requirement, part of the 2003 Global AIDS Act, has applied to overseas
recipients of US funds since Congress passed the bill, but the Justice Department initially questioned whether applying the requirement to US organisations would be in breach of the US constitution. The department has now given the pledge requirement the go-ahead.