Human immunodeficiency virus and female prostitutes, Sydney 1985
Philpot, C.R.; Harcourt, C.; Edwards, J.; Grealis, A.
Genitourinary Medicine 64(3): 193-197
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0266-4348 PMID: 3410467 DOI: 10.1136/sti.64.3.193Document Number: 362567
In 1985, 132 female prostitutes and 55 female nonprostitutes at a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic in Sydney, Australia requested to be tested for HIV antibodies and completed a questionnaire covering a wide range of social and medical issues. The 2 groups were matched for age and were similar in other respects, excluding the number of sexual partners. Laboratory personnel tested the serum using the ELISA test and confirmed by the H9 exclusionary ELISA and by immunofluorescence using a T cell line infected with HIV. All the women tested seronegative for HIV antibodies. 19% of the prostitutes and 24% of the nonprostitutes had used IV drugs. A substantial number of women from both groups reported using 1 or more other drugs. 37% of the prostitutes and 45% of nonprostitutes claimed to not have used any of the illegal drugs listed in the questionnaire, during the preceding 6 months. 29% of the prostitutes and 33% of the nonprostitutes recorded partners at risk from IV drug use. The number of sexual partners reported by the 2 groups in the month prior to the survey ranged from 1-250 (median 24.5) for prostitutes and 0-4 (median 1.50) for nonprostitutes. For a 1 year period the corresponding figures included 1-3000 (median 175) for prostitutes and 1-13 (median 3.5) for nonprostitutes. More than 1/3 reported having bisexual partners during the previous 5 years. Prostitutes had significantly more episodes of gonorrhea, chlamydial infection, and pelvic inflammatory disease than the nonprostitute group (p.05). 1/2 of the 8 prostitutes who had hepatitis B were IV drug users. 76% of nonprostitute partners and 49% of prostitute partners did not use condoms. Despite the fact that HIV antibodies were not detected in these women, the researchers concluded that HIV could spread rapidly within the prostitution population and back into the wider community through sexual contacts and IV drug use. Current control measures need to be enhanced and the medical community needs to continue to monitor prostitutes' health.