Comparative clinical, microbiologic and serologic studies of the incidence of genital and para-genital infections in prostitutes and women with mainly monogamous relations
Geuenich, H.H.; Müller, H.E.
Gesundheitswesen 55(11): 567-576
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0941-3790 PMID: 8286896 Document Number: 6389
Legislation of the control of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) in the Federal Republic of Germany covers neither the complete spectrum of venereal diseases nor all population groups of high risk. We therefore investigated not only the classic STD but also some other STD, i.e. by serologic methods syphilis, HIV infection, hepatitis A, B, C, and herpes simplex genitalis, and by microbiological methods gonococci, chlamydiae, trichomonas, genital mycoplasmas, A-streptococci, B-streptococci, gram-negative enteric bacteria, anaerobic bacteria, staphylococci, listerias and yeasts. The cohorts of women living mainly monogamously and these of prostitutes were compared. They show some differences: There are remarkable differences in the prevalence of clinical symptoms, i.e. vaginal discharge, rubor, pruritus, and genital warts, between the two cohorts and depending on the season. Fluor, rubor, and pruritus were more frequently observed in mainly monogamous women than in prostitutes. Furthermore, the causative organisms of STD were isolated in different frequencies depending on the season particularly from mainly monogamous women. Furthermore, their frequencies depend on the age of the women. Gonococci, chlamydiae, trichomonas, genital mycoplasmas, B-streptococci and Staphylococcus aureus were significantly more isolated from prostitutes than from mainly monogamous women. But, on the other hand, candida and gram-negative enterobacteria are significantly more common in mainly monogamous women than in prostitutes. There are some correlations between clinical symptoms and organisms. The prevalence of syphilis, HIV-infection, hepatitis A, B, and C in the prostitutes were 7, 0.4, 3.5, 15, and 1.6%, respectively. The most intriguing observation is the decreasing incidence of causative organisms of STD in prostitutes during the three years of study. This phenomenon promises an improvement of the health standard of prostitutes by regular medical, microbiological, serological check-ups without charge.
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