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PubMed1993

Barriers to human immunodeficiency virus related risk reduction among male street prostitutes.

Two hundred eleven male street prostitutes between the ages of 18 and 51 years were interviewed and tested for antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Economic, social, and emotional barriers to the reduction of HIV-related risk behavior were examined within the context of several concepts present in the Health Belief Model (HBM). Three lifestyle factors were found to function as barriers to engaging in risk reduction behavior. Subjects who were more economically dependent on prostitution, perceived less control over the hustling encounter, and reported increased pleasure from sexual activity with their customers were more likely to engage in risk-taking behavior. Prostitutes' perception of the severity of HIV infection was not significantly associated with their risk behavior. Unexpected findings indicated that increases in perceived susceptibility to HIV and perceived benefit of condom use for HIV prevention were significantly related to increased risk-taking behavior. Practical applications of findings in the design and implementation of future HIV-related preventive health education programs are discussed.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1989

The pregnant adolescent prostitute.

The issue of teenage pregnancy is one of paramount concern and has been covered extensively in the professional literature. Teenage prostitution, as well, has drawn attention from medical and social science researchers. An increasing number of teenage prostitutes are becoming pregnant and delivering infants. These young women constitute a high-risk group that merits professional investigation and requires sensitive clinical approaches. We describe the pregnancy and early postpartum outcomes of 61 teenage prostitutes (age range, 13 to 18 years) in Seattle, Wash, during the period from January 1987 to February 1988. The subjects' environment, prenatal care, drug use, contraceptive practices, repeated pregnancies, and risk for sexually transmitted diseases (including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) are discussed. Two case examples are used for illustration.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Prevalence, infectivity, and risk factor analysis of hepatitis C virus infection in prostitutes.

A population of 622 prostitutes in Taiwan was tested for antibodies to the hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) using a synthetic peptide assay composed of representative determinants from capsid and nonstructural (NS) viral proteins. Seventy-four (12%) were positive and the remaining 548 (88%) were negative. Seventy-nine samples were retested by a second-generation anti-HCV assay composed of recombinant capsid and NS proteins of HCV. Both assays had a nearly perfect agreement (Kappa value = 0.91). Of the positive cases, 31% were positive for reactivity to capsid only. Most (60/74, 81%) of the cases positive for synthetic peptide assay were HCV RNA positive, indicating potential infectivity. On the basis of the results of synthetic peptide assay, univariate analysis showed that history of paid sex for longer than 6 months, blood transfusion, acupuncture, intravenous drug abuse, and age over 20 years were significant risk factors of HCV infection (P < 0.01). Elevated alanine aminotransferase levels (> 40 U/L) were positively associated with anti-HCV, while the presence of serum hepatitis B surface antigen was a negatively associated factor. Multivariate analysis revealed that history of paid sex for longer than 6 months and blood transfusion were positively associated with anti-HCV (P < 0.001). The latter only accounted for less than one fifth of the HCV-infected prostitutes. This study indicates strongly that sexual transmission is an important route for HCV infection in prostitutes. This risk group may spread HCV to other populations as a sexually transmitted disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Transsexual prostitution in New Zealand: predominance of persons of Maori extraction.

Information concerning the racial distribution, family background, sexual history, education, and employment status of 27 New Zealand, male-to-female preoperative transsexual prostitutes was obtained by interview and questionnaire. Subjects lived in Wellington, New Zealand, and Sydney, Australia. Subjects recalled childhoods with maternal dominance, paternal absence, being youngest sons, and being dressed in girls' clothes by female relatives. Further, an early history of homosexual intercourse and cross-dressing behavior occurred significantly often. Moreover, it was apparent that the Maori race, which forms 9.0% of the total New Zealand population, was disproportionately represented; approximately 90% of the transsexual prostitute population in Wellington is Maori. Various explanations are offered for the racial inequality. It is concluded that cultural influences have an effect on the number of transsexual prostitutes in New Zealand. Further research is needed to assess whether these factors also influence the etiology and development of transsexualism.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Absence of HTLV-I and HTLV-II infection in prostitutes in the area of Seville, Spain.

Infection with human retroviruses other than HIV in Spain has only been reported in isolated cases in African immigrants and intravenous drug abusers infected with HTLV-I. The status of the prostitute population is unknown. The sera of 88 prostitutes in Seville were therefore tested for HIV, HTLV-I and HTLV-II, and relevant epidemiological data were collected on the health status, sexual practices etc. In the prostitute population studied 2.5% of the non-intravenous drug abusers and 20% of the intravenous drug abusers were positive for HIV. However, infection with HTLV-I/II could not be demonstrated in any of them.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

TT virus (TTV) genotypes in native and non-native prostitutes of Irian Jaya, Indonesia: implication for non-occupational transmission.

We investigated prostitutes in Irian Jaya, an Indonesian territory of New Guinea, to know whether TT virus (TTV) is sexually transmitted and what genotypes of TTV exist there. An ORF2 region of the TTV genome was analyzed for 44 isolates from prostitutes (19 were Irian Jaya natives but 25 were immigrants from Java or other islands of Indonesia) and 26 isolates from women of child-bearing age in Surabaya as a control. The WX(7)HX(3)CX(1)CX(5)H motif sequence of the ORF2 was compared across the 70 Indonesian isolates with a reference of 47 Japanese isolates (filed in databases) and the prototype TTV isolate TA278. A total of 77 different sequences were generated from the comparison, but a phylogenetic analysis suggested that they could be divided into three categories: group A, group B and others (the third group was highly diverse). Interestingly, most of the Indonesian isolates belonged to group B (74%): this rate was considerably higher than that observed previously in Japanese isolates. Group B isolates were further compared for the N-terminal 95 amino acids of the ORF2, with a result that the natives of Irian Jaya had a different pattern of genotype distribution from other groups. In particular, 9 out of 19 isolates from the Irian Jaya-natives were co-classified under a distinct branch, to which none of the other Indonesian and Japanese isolates belonged. Our data indicate that TTV genotypes reflect the birth place of the infected prostitutes rather than their work environment, and thus suggest that an infection is more likely during the early period of life than through sexual transmission. In addition, the presence of an Irian Jaya-specific genotype is intriguing from an anthropological and viral evolutionary point of view, because Irian Jaya has been isolated from contact with other areas for a long time.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Effects of alternative street school on youth involved in prostitution.

Prostitution-involved adolescents self assigned into one of three groups: school attenders (of alternative street school), unable to attend, and school refusers. Data were collected at intake and 50 days after intake for the following measures: Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Quality of School Life Scale, and self-reported weekly prostitution events. School attenders improved significantly on all measures, showing less depression, improved school sentiment, improved self-esteem, and reduced prostitution activity after less than 2 months of street school. Except for self-esteem, no significant changes on these dependent variables were observed for either of the other school groups.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Comparative views of the public, sex workers, businesses and residents on establishing managed zones for prostitution: analysis of a consultation in Liverpool.

Drug addiction, violence and anti-social behaviour are characteristics of street prostitution. An alternative approach to zero tolerance is establishing a managed zone where sex workers operate according to regulations and can access health services. Using a consultation with sex workers (n=50), businesses (n=51), residents (n=179) and the public (n=789) we examined where a zone might be established in a UK city (Liverpool) and characteristics of the zone required by these stakeholders. All groups believed a zone would improve sex workers' safety and reduce prostitution elsewhere. Sex workers (96%) agreed to work in a zone. Location criteria from all groups were used to identify two potential business areas to host a zone but businesses in or near these areas rejected plans through fear for staff safety and reduced business. We discuss the consultation process, difficulties in locating services for marginalised groups in cities and the implications for health and judicial policy relating to prostitution.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Sexually transmitted Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and HIV-1 infections in two at-risk populations in Barcelona: female street prostitutes and STI clinic attendees.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and HIV-1 infections in female street prostitutes and STI clinic attendees in Barcelona. DESIGN: This was a prospective study carried out in two four-month periods over two years. Urine specimens were tested for CT and NG using a PCR pooling algorithm. Among street prostitutes HIV-1 testing in urine was also carried out. RESULTS: The prevalences of CT, NG, and HIV-1 in female street prostitutes (n=301) were 4.7%, 3.7%, and 1.0%, respectively. Women from Eastern Europe had the highest prevalence of CT (p=0.01). Prevalences of CT, NG, and HIV-1 among all clinic attendees (n=536) were 4.3%, 4.5%, and 4.4%, respectively. Prevalence of HIV-1 infection among homosexual men was higher compared with heterosexual men and women (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Overall CT prevalence is currently lower than in other European countries, although it could increase as a result of immigration. Rates of HIV-1 and of NG are higher among homosexual than among heterosexual men.

Ambulatory Care Facilities↗
PubMed1997

Youthful prostitution and child sexual trauma.

This paper has examined research that attempts to explain entry to prostitution in terms of the family experiences of young prostitutes. Though there is some evidence of rape, incest, and other kinds of sexual trauma in these backgrounds, this evidence is inconsistent and contradictory. A more plausible approach to the question is based on general control theories. Any traumas or conflicts that unattach children and youth from their families make youngsters highly vulnerable to delinquency. In the case of adolescent females, breach of family attachments appears to heighten the risk of early sexual involvements that, in the context of gender differences in sexual development, expose them to partners significantly older than themselves, and in significantly larger numbers than would otherwise be the case. These factors help explain the role of dysfunctional backgrounds in entry to prostitution without presupposing a role for unobservable traumas and psychiatric disturbances. They likewise recognize a role for the interaction between social control factors and the normal process of sexual development.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis B in Spanish prostitutes.

Eighty prostitutes were tested by solid-phase radioimmunoassay for serum markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Of 8 (10%) with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), 6 (75%) also had hepatitis Be antigen (HBeAg). Antibodies to HBsAg (anti-HBs) and to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) were found in 52 (65%). Antibodies to HBeAg (anti-HBe) were positive in 32 (40%). Anti-HBc alone was found in 5 (6%) and anti-HBs alone in 2 (2%). Sixty-seven (84%) were positive for at least one HBV marker and 13 (16%) were still susceptible to infection. Hepatitis B markers were more prevalent in prostitutes than in the normal Spanish population. Age, a history of sexually transmitted diseases (STD), drug abuse and promiscuity are factors which were highly related to hepatitis B markers. We concluded that screening prostitutes for the presence of markers and vaccinating those who are negative would be worth while.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Prostitution in Riga, Latvia--a socio-medical matter of concern.

OBJECTIVES: To study the background and the working and socio-economic conditions, and the prevalence of some sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), among street and sex club female Latvian prostitutes. STUDY DESIGN: Structured in-depth interviews, as well as clinical examination and laboratory tests for gonorrhea, syphilis, bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis, ectoparasites and HIV-infections. RESULTS: Approximately half of the 107 women stemmed from rural Latvian villages, the rest from the capital city of Riga. Of the women, 15-43 years, 36% were ethnic Latvians and 56% ethnic Russians, as compared to 58% vs. 32% of the population of Latvia. Poor economy with unemployment and miserly living conditions were the main reasons for recruitment to prostitution. The income per client was in the range of 25-30 USD (10-15 Ls), but the pimp and brothel/sex club owner often requires half of the women's fees. Unprotected intercourse was common. Twenty of the women were found to be pregnant. One tenth used narcotic drugs, e.g. ecstasy. The prevalences of gonorrhea, active syphilis, bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis and ectoparasites were 10.2%, 15.7%, 68.2%, 35.5% and 15.9% respectively. None was HIV-infected. CONCLUSIONS: There is an urgent need for regulation of the Latvian 'sex industry', means for providing prostitutes with adequate contraceptives, and to allocate resources to clinics for investigation, therapy and counseling.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Precursors and pathways to adolescent prostitution in Taiwan.

This paper identifies the major precursors and pathways to prostitution for contemporary Taiwanese girls and the socioeconomic and cultural changes that have facilitated the shift in pathways over the past 10 years. Special attention is paid to the case of Taiwanese aborigines, who have particularly suffered systemic disruption due to prostitution. Analysis of case files and interviews provide quantitative and qualitative data that highlight the role of filial piety and the shift from indenture to runaway as the major pathway in Taiwan. Discussion includes relation of these findings to juvenile entry into prostitution in other countries, directions for future research, and policy recommendations for Taiwan's government.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

The inappropriateness of psycho-social models of risk behaviour for understanding HIV-related risk practices among Glasgow male prostitutes.

Much the most common models of HIV-related risk behaviour are those psychosocial models derived from studies of health behaviour and tested on large interview samples of American gay men. These models were not appropriate for understanding risk behaviour among 32 Glasgow male prostitutes. Whereas psycho-social models conceive of risk behaviour as volitional and individualistic, ethnographic data indicate that the male prostitutes' risk practices were constrained and emergent from the immediate circumstances of the sexual encounter. Unsafe sex was associated with client control. Safer sex was associated with countervailing prostitute strategies of influence. These data confirm the utility of self-empowerment approaches to health education.

Contraceptive Devices, Male↗
PubMed2003

Human herpesvirus 8: seroprevalence and correlates in prostitutes in Mombasa, Kenya.

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) infection is very prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, but the role of sexual transmission has not been well characterized. HHV-8 seroprevalence and correlates were evaluated in a cohort of female prostitutes in Mombasa, Kenya. Between February 1993 and January 2000, stored plasma samples taken from 736 women were tested, by whole-virus ELISA assay, for the presence of HHV-8 antibodies; of these 736 women, 633 were included in the analysis of correlates of HHV-8 infection; and, of these 633, 44.1% were seropositive for HHV-8 antibodies. In univariate analysis, age, years of education, years of prostitution, workplace, hormonal contraception, intrauterine-device use, alcohol consumption, syphilis, and gonorrhea were all significantly associated with the presence of HHV-8 antibodies. In a multivariate model, older age, fewer years of education, and 2 markers of high-risk sexual behavior-namely, alcohol consumption and gonorrhea-were each independently associated with HHV-8 seropositivity. These results suggest that heterosexual transmission may contribute to acquisition of HHV-8 infections in this African population of prostitutes.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Prevalence of hepatitis B antibody in prostitutes.

The possibility that hepatitis B is transmitted venereally was examined by determining the prevalence of hepatitis B antibody (anti-HB(S)) in populations with different levels of promiscuity. Of 258 prostitutes, 31% were anti-HB(S) positive, compared to 10% of 258 female age-matched blood donors, 10% of 48 nuns living in a convent and 15% of 94 nuns working as teachers. Prevalence of anti-HB(S) increased with increasing age. In the age group 40-49 years up to 72% of prostitutes were anti-HB(S) positive, whereas anti-HB(S) was found in only 23% of blood donors. The correlation of length of the registration period as a prostitute and frequency of venereal diseases to prevalence of anti-HB(S) supported the hypothesis that the agent of hepatitis B was transmitted sexually. This correlation was absent for echovirus type 12 and adenovirus type 10 antibody.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1990

Injecting drug use and female street-working prostitution in Glasgow.

There are considerable difficulties associated with calculating the prevalence of covert, illegal and stigmatized activities. This paper outlines new methods we have developed for calculating the prevalence of both drug-injecting street prostitution and non-injecting street prostitution in Glasgow. Our data indicate that Glasgow has a much higher level of injecting drug use than has been reported among prostitutes in other British cities.

Female↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Gonorrhea in street prostitutes: epidemiologic and legal implications.

Sociodemographic characteristics of a group of street prostitutes in Colorado Springs, Colorado, were determined through retrospective chart review and compared with those of a group of nonprostitute women seen at a venereal disease clinic. Initially, the risk that prostitutes would contract gonorrhea was substantially higher than the risk for other women (31% vs. 21%) but the risks for both groups decreased over the two-year period during which control measures were applied. These measures included use of legal orders, based on the constitutional requirement of "least restrictive alternative." Prostitutes in this setting may well constitute a "core group" of transmitters.

Adolescent↗