Hepatitis E virus immunoglobulin G antibodies in different populations in Campinas, Brazil.
(33/850)
The seroprevalence of anti-hepatitis E virus (HEV) antibodies was investigated by enzyme immunoassay in 205 volunteer blood donors, 214 women who attended a center for anonymous testing for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and 170 hospital employees in Campinas, a city in southeastern Brazil. The prevalence of anti-HEV antibodies ranged from 2.6% (3 of 117) in health care professionals to 17.7% (38 of 214) in women who considered themselves at risk for HIV. The prevalence of anti-HEV antibodies in health care professionals was not significantly different from that in healthy blood donors (3.0%, 5 of 165) and blood donors with raised alanine aminotransferase levels (7.5%, 3 of 40). The prevalence of anti-HEV antibodies (13.2%, 7 of 53) in cleaning service workers at a University hospital was similar to that among women at risk for HIV infection. These results suggest that HEV is circulating in southeastern Brazil and that low socioeconomic status is an important risk factor for HEV infection in this region. (+info)
The impact of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 status on human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence and HPV antibodies in serum and cervical secretions.
(34/850)
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1-infected (HIV-positive) and -uninfected (HIV-negative) sex workers were examined for the presence of cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA. Cervicovaginal rinse and serum samples from these women were examined for IgG and IgA antibodies to HPV-16 virus-like particles (VLP-16) by ELISA. The HIV-positive women displayed a significantly higher prevalence of HPV DNA (40/47 [85%]) than did the HIV-negative women (22/52 [42%]; P=.00001). Both HIV-positive and HIV-negative sex workers displayed a high seroprevalence rate for anti-VLP-16 IgG antibodies (27/40 [68%] and 30/43 [70%], respectively), but significantly fewer HIV-positive women than HIV-negative women had anti-VLP-16 serum IgA (6/40 [15%] vs. 17/43 [40%], respectively; P=.012). Significantly more HIV-positive women than HIV-negative women had cervical anti-VLP-16 IgG antibodies (16/49 [33%] vs. 6/63 [10%], respectively; P=.002) but not IgA antibodies (P=.3). (+info)
Health issues associated with increasing use of "crack" cocaine among female sex workers in London.
(35/850)
OBJECTIVES: To document changes in "crack" cocaine use in the sex industry in London, and to assess health risks associated with the drug. DESIGN: Two serial cross sectional surveys. SUBJECTS: Sex workers interviewed in 1989-9 and 1995-6. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Self reported use of crack cocaine; clinical history of sexually transmitted infection and pregnancy, clinical outcomes. RESULTS: The proportion of women reporting crack use increased significantly from 22/193 (11%) in 1989-91 to 48/143 (34%) in 1995-6. Women in all the main prostitution sectors reported crack use. Crack users had been working in prostitution for longer, were more likely to have worked on the streets, to inject drugs, and to have a partner who injected. Crack use was associated with termination of pregnancy and with hepatitis C infection. The association with hepatitis C was partially explained by confounding with injecting drug use. CONCLUSIONS: Crack use is more common and less problematic than clinical presentation suggests. Use has increased over the past decade, and is associated with hepatitis C infection and termination of pregnancy. It is possible that crack use facilitates hepatitis C transmission due to oral lesions from smoking. Crack use can be difficult to identify because of the stigma of being labelled a "crack whore," therefore information on crack might usefully be integrated into general health promotion material on drugs and safer sex. (+info)
HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and risk behaviours in male commercial sex workers in Sydney.
(36/850)
OBJECTIVES: To assess prevalence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), risk behaviours, and demographics in male commercial sex workers (CSWs)/prostitutes in Sydney. METHODS: Retrospective, cross sectional study with two comparison groups. Demographic, behavioural, and morbidity data were analysed from standardised medical records of patients attending a public STI and HIV service in Sydney between January 1991 and March 1998. Two comparison groups were used: female CSWs and non-CSW working homosexual men who attended over the same time. RESULTS: 94 male CSWs, 1671 female CSWs, and 3541 non-CSW working homosexual men were included. The prevalence of HIV in male CSWs tested (6.5%) was significantly greater than in female CSWs (0.4%, p = 0.0001), but less than in non-CSW homosexual men (23.9%, p < 0.0001). Genital warts occurred significantly more frequently in male CSWs than in comparison groups. Prevalence of other STIs was similar in all groups. Male CSWs saw significantly fewer clients per week than female CSWs and male and female CSWs used condoms with almost all clients. Male CSWs reported significantly more non-work sexual partners than female CSWs and non-CSW homosexual men and were significantly more likely to have unprotected penetrative sex with their non-work partners than non-CSW homosexual men. Injecting drug use was significantly more frequent in male CSWs than in both comparison groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although male CSWs use condoms with clients, they are more likely to practise unsafe sex with non-work partners (especially women) and inject drugs than female CSWs and non-CSW homosexual men. Some men with HIV are working within the commercial sex industry. Targeted health education to encourage safer drug use and safer sex outside work is needed. (+info)
Prostitution and the sex discrepancy in reported number of sexual partners.
(37/850)
One of the most reliable and perplexing findings from surveys of sexual behavior is that men report substantially more sexual partners than women do. We use data from national sex surveys and studies of prostitutes and their clients in the United States to examine sampling bias as an explanation for this disparity. We find that prostitute women are underrepresented in the national surveys. Once their undersampling and very high numbers of sexual partners are factored in, the discrepancy disappears. Prostitution's role in the discrepancy is not readily apparent because men are reluctant to acknowledge that their reported partners include prostitutes. (+info)
Diagnostic performance of the Roche AMPLICOR PCR in detecting Neisseria gonorrhoeae in genitourinary specimens from female sex workers in Cotonou, Benin.
(38/850)
The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the Roche multiplex AMPLICOR Chlamydia trachomatis/Neisseria gonorrhoeae PCR test for the detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection in female urine specimens and wet and dry endocervical swabs. Endocervical swabs and urine specimens were collected from 342 female sex workers from Cotonou, Benin, and were tested using the AMPLICOR C. trachomatis/N. gonorrhoeae test (Roche Diagnostic Systems, Inc., Branchburg, N.J.) with internal control detection. Endocervical swabs were also cultured on Thayer-Martin medium. A series of alternate standards that included a combination of all the tests but not the test being evaluated was used to assess the performance of the test with each type of specimen. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for the urine were 53.8, 98.9, 93.5, and 87.5%, respectively. Corresponding figures for the wet swab were 91.5, 100, 100, and 97.4%, respectively. Those for the dry swab were 96.3, 96.2, 88.5, and 98.8%, respectively. Based on this study, the AMPLICOR PCR assay showed a low sensitivity for detection of N. gonorrhoeae infection in urine specimens, whereas the test was found to be highly sensitive and specific with endocervical specimens. (+info)
HIV-1-specific cellular immune responses among HIV-1-resistant sex workers.
(39/850)
The goal of the present study was to determine whether there were HIV-1 specific cellular immune responses among a subgroup of women within a cohort of Nairobi prostitutes (n = 1800) who, despite their intense sexual exposure to HIV-1, are epidemiologically resistant to HIV-1 infection. Of the 80 women defined to be resistant, 24 were recruited for immunological evaluation. The HIV-1-specific T-helper responses were determined by IL-2 production following stimulation with HIV-1 envelope peptides and soluble gp120. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses were determined by lysis of autologous EBV-transformed B cell lines infected with control vaccinia virus or recombinant vaccinia viruses containing the HIV-1 structural genes env, gag and pol. Resistant women had significantly increased HIV-1 specific T-helper responses, as determined by in vitro IL-2 production to HIV-1 envelope peptides and soluble glycoprotein 120, compared with low-risk seronegative and HIV-1-infected controls (P < or = 0.01, Student's t-test). Seven of the 17 (41%) resistant women showed IL-2 stimulation indices > or = 2.0. HIV-1-specific CTL responses were detected among 15/22 (68.2%) resistant women compared with 0/12 low-risk controls (Chi-squared test, P < 0.001). In the two resistant individuals tested, the CTL activity was mediated by CD8+ effectors. Many HIV-1-resistant women show evidence of HIV-1-specific T-helper and cytotoxic responses. These data support the suggestion that HIV-1-specific T-cell responses contribute to protection against HIV-1 infection. (+info)
In vitro antibiotic susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Jakarta, Indonesia.
(40/850)
Antibiotic susceptibilities were determined for 122 Neisseria gonorrheae isolates obtained from 400 sex workers in Jakarta, Indonesia, and susceptibilities to ciprofloxacin, cefuroxime, cefoxitin, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, chloramphenicol, and spectinomycin were found. All isolates were resistant to tetracycline. A number of the isolates demonstrated decreased susceptibilities to erythromycin (MIC >/= 1.0 microg/ml), thiamphenicol (MIC >/= 1.0 microg/ml), kanamycin (MIC >/= 16.0 microg/ml), penicillin (MIC >/= 2.0 microg/ml), gentamicin (MIC >/= 16.0 microg/ml), and norfloxacin (MIC = 0.5 microg/ml). These data showed that certain antibiotics previously used in the treatment of gonorrhea are no longer effective. (+info)