HIV-1 infection among non-intravenous drug user female prostitutes in Spain. no evidence of evolution to pattern Ii
Pineda, J.A.; Aguado, I.; Rivero, A.; Vergara, A.; Hernández-Quero, J.; Luque, F.; Pino, R.; Abad, M.A.; Santos, J.; Cruz, E.
Aids 6(11): 1365-1369
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0269-9370 PMID: 1472340 DOI: 10.1097/00002030-199211000-00021Document Number: 323726
HIV-1 has been spreading according to pattern 1 in Europe and North America. In Kenya and Nigeria, where pattern 2 transmission is established, large increases in the prevalence of antibodies to HIV-1 in non-intravenous drug using (IVDU) female prostitutes were documented before HIV-1 disseminated into the general population. 519 non-IVDU female prostitutes in Spain were studied to assess the prevalence of HIV-1 infection among them and to determine the risk factors for infection in the population. The cross-sectional seroepidemiological study was conducted in four university hospitals in Andalusia, southern Spain. Subjects were of mean age 30 years with range 18-55 years; had an average 59 sex partners/month with range 1-600; and had worked as a prostitute for an average 50 months with range 2-420 months. Respondents answered questionnaires and provided serum samples for analysis. 12/519 or 2.31% were seropositive for HIV-1. Infection was associated with the presence of antibodies to hepatitis C and Treponema pallidum, multiple sex partners, longer history f prostitution, and history of genital ulcers and anal intercourse. Condom use was associated with HIV-1 seronegativity. In sum, relatively low prevalence of HIV-1 infection was found among these sex workers, thereby offering no evidence of a shift from pattern 1 to pattern 2 transmission in the broader population.