sexually transmitted infections

testing

An article in Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Volume 38, Number 2, February 2011. Background: The majority of people living with HIV/AIDS in China are unaware of their serostatus, and increasing the utilization of HIV testing may help to control the epidemic. Article by Julia Medew in The Age, May 31, 2011. Health Minister David Davis has backed down from a plan for Victorian sex workers to have fewer tests for sexually transmitted infections, prompting sharp criticism from public health experts who say the plan should go ahead. Last week, a Department of Health project officer told a health and sex work conference

violence

A research brief from the Programme for Research and Capacity Building in Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV in Developing Countries. This brief accompanies a special issue of Sexually Transmitted Infections. Their research found: Article by Karandikar S and Próspero M in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Vol. 25, No. 2, 257-273 (2010). The study explores intimate partner violence (IPV) among female sex workers from the red-light area based in Mumbai, India. Using a grounded theory approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten sex workers to explore their experiences of IPV in the context of commercial sex work. Narratives were

HIV; entertainment workers

The risk environment framework provides a valuable but under-utilised heuristic for understanding environmental vulnerability to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections among female sex workers. Brothels have been shown to be safer than street-based sex work, with higher rates of consistent condom use and lower HIV prevalence. While entertainment venues are also assumed to be safer than street-based sex work, few studies have examined environmental influences on vulnerability to HIV in this context.

STIs

Article in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, Volume 15, Issue 9, September 2011, Pages e635-e640. Due to the scarce data on the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among male-to-female trans-sex workers (TSW) and male sex workers (MSW) in Argentina, the present study aimed to estimate the incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and the prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and Treponema pallidum. Human papillomavirus (HPV) and Chlamydia trachomatis infections were tested among TSW.

alcohol

Previous research has linked alcohol use with an increased number of sexual partners, inconsistent condom use and a raised incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). A news story by Daniel Brody in the Columbia Reports. The story outlines the findings of an opinion survey of sex workers and their clients in Bogota which was taken by the Mayor’s Office. There is no link to the original source so we cannot comment on the accuracy of the reporting or the methods used. An article by Panchanadeswaran S, Johnson SC, Sivaram S, Srikrishnan AK, Latkin C, Bentley ME, Solomon S, Go VF,

Benin

The aim of this study conducted in Benin was to compare HIV-1 infected female sex workers (FSW) and patients from the general population (GP) to see whether there was a difference in adherence level, mortality rate and immuno-virologic response to antiretroviral therapy (ART). An article by Lowndes CM, Alary M, Meda H, Gnintoungbé CAB, Mukenge-Tshibaka L, Adjovi C, Buvé A, Morison L, Laourou M, Kanhonou L and Anagonou S in Sexually Transmitted Infections (2002) 78(Supplement 1 ) pp. i69-i77. An article by Alary M, Mukenge-Tshibaka L, Bernier F, Geraldo N, Lowndes CM, Meda H, Gnintoungbé CAB, Anagonou S and Joly

Monthly sex worker tests are ridiculous, health experts say

Article by Julia Medew in The Age, May 31, 2011. Health Minister David Davis has backed down from a plan for Victorian sex workers to have fewer tests for sexually transmitted infections, prompting sharp criticism from public health experts who say the plan should go ahead. Last week, a Department of Health project officer told a health and sex work conference the government had approved a move from monthly to three-monthly tests for sex workers in the regulated industry from September. Legal sex workers applauded the move, saying monthly testing was unnecessary as they always used protection.But a spokeswoman for Mr

Prevalence and Correlates of HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections among Female Sex Workers and Their Non-commercial Male Partners in Two Mexico-USA Border Cities

Female sex workers (FSWs) acquire HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) through unprotected sex with commercial and non-commercial (intimate) male partners. Little research has focused on FSWs’ intimate relationships, within which condom use is rare. We sought to determine the prevalence and correlates of HIV/STIs within FSWs’ intimate relationships in Northern Mexico. From 2010 to 2011, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of FSWs and their non-commercial male partners in Tijuana and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Eligible FSWs and their verified male partners were aged ≥18 years; FSWs reported lifetime use of heroin, cocaine, crack, or methamphetamine and recently exchanged sex

Prevalence of HIV and STIs and Associated Risk Factors Among Female Sex Workers in Guangdong Province, China

An article in the J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Volume 53, Supplement 1, February 1, 2010. Objectives: To assess the prevalence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and associated factors among female sex workers (FSWs) in Guangdong, China. Methods: Respondent-driven sampling was used to recruit 320 FSWs. The recruited participants were interviewed face-to-face using a structured questionnaire and tested for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and Chlamydia. Results: The prevalence of syphilis, gonorrhea, and Chlamydia were 8.0% (4.6%–12.2%), 9.5% (5.6%–14.3%), and 3.9% (1.7%–6.2%), respectively, and of any STIs was 19.7% (13.9%–26.2%). None of the participants were HIV positive. The median number of clients

An assessment of sex work in Swaziland: barriers to and opportunities for HIV prevention among sex workers

The HIV situation in virtually all southern African countries is a generalised epidemic. Despite the fact that almost all adult age and social groups have high HIV prevalence estimates, sex workers are disproportionally affected, with prevalence estimates higher than the general population. In a qualitative study of 61 male and female sex workers in Swaziland, we found that while poverty drove many into sex work, others reported motivations of pleasure or “sensation seeking”, and freedoms from the burden of marriage as perceived benefits of sex work. We also found that penile-vaginal sex was not universal in male-female sexual encounters; and

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