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PubMed1995

Professional HIV risk taking, levels of victimization, and well-being in female prostitutes in The Netherlands.

Professional HIV risk taking (nonconsistent condom use with clients) of female prostitutes in The Netherlands is addressed within the context of (early) experiences with abuse, well-being, coping behavior, job satisfaction, and financial need. Data were gathered from 127 female prostitutes on condom use, financial need, and professional attitude, and on experiences with violence and abuse, physical complaints, psychosocial problems, and coping responses. Violent traumatic experiences were found to relate to more severe complaints and problems, and a higher frequency of emotion-focused coping strategies. A risk-taking protection style (as opposed to consistent condom use and selective risk taking) appeared to be associated with more severe experiences with violence, both in childhood and in adult life, with more frequent dissociation as a coping behavior, and with more psychosomatic complaints. Of all the relationships found, more severe experiences with violence on the job were most strongly related to a higher professional HIV risk.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1989

A psychosocial study of male prostitution.

A semistructured questionnaire was administered to 50 male prostitutes and 50 nonprostitutes matched on age, sex, and socioeconomic status. The questionnaire focused on areas pertaining to family, sexual and criminal history, current life situation, sexual practices with clients, substance abuse, etc. In addition, the Beck Depression Inventory and the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale were administered to 35 subjects from each group. Results indicated that there were differences between the groups but that these differences did not entirely support the demographic profile offered by previous researchers. Specifically, our findings suggest that factors related to family background may be less important as potential determinants for entry into prostitution than influences related to financial gain, sexual orientation (homosexuality), and early sexual experiences.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1985

The two "faces" of Antillean prostitution.

Prostitutes who operate in the refinery town of St. Nicholas, the second largest urban center in Aruba, Netherlands Antilles, fall into two categories: temporary migrants from Colombia, who live and work for 3-month periods in the saloon-cribs along the main street; and permanently resident Dominican Republicans, who live and work in the village ghetto. The Colombians receive encomia, the Dominican Republicans, opprobria. In addition to addressing the differential statuses, prognoses, and earnings of the two groups, this paper also examines the historical background to the development of the differential assessments and offers ethnographic support for the continuation of the structural oppositions that separate the two groups. It is suggested that local perceptions of "other" people (including prostitutes) are tied to specific social and economic circumstances. Variables such as economic competition, ethnicity, length of employment in a low-status occupation, and the generally favored position accorded to "people like us," in contrast to the negative attitude held toward "people like them," are examined in terms of their relevance to the differential status of the two groups. It is also suggested that the underlying as well as the overt bases for these stereotypical ascriptions may have broader applicability: differential rather than unilateral assessments may indeed be the norm rather than a peculiarly Antillean perception.

Colombia↗
PubMed1988

Adolescent female prostitutes.

The characteristics and functioning of adolescent female prostitutes were studied with nonprostitute delinquents and normal female adolescents constituting the control groups. All subjects were administered psychometric instruments and a life-history inventory. The most salient finding was that the adolescents displayed greater psychopathology as assessed by all of the Mini-Mult clinical scales. Other findings include that prostitutes exhibit a more negative attitude toward men and are more likely to have been in a special education class.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Association between hepatitis C virus seroreactivity and HIV infection in non-intravenous drug abusing prostitutes.

Two hundred and ninety-four non-transfused prostitutes from Spain, who denied intravenous drug abuse, were tested for hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies. Seventeen (5.78%) of them were seropositive. Both in univariate and correspondence analyses, serological results for hepatitis C were associated with the HIV-1 serostatus (p < 0.001), number of sex partners (p < 0.05) and a history of genital ulcers (p < 0.05). In logistic regression analysis, hepatitis C seropositivity was associated only with HIV-1 infection (adjusted odds ratio = 13.6; 95% confidence interval = 3.3-55.2). These results show that hepatitis C seropositivity is associated with HIV-1 infection in female non-intravenous drug abusing prostitutes. These findings are also consistent with the hypothesis that HCV can be sexually transmitted with low efficiency.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Cancer of the cervix--a sexually transmitted disease. Cytologic screening in a prostitute population.

The epidemiology of cervical cancer has been the subject of many articles centered around the question, "Is cancer of the cervix a sexually transmitted disease? A group of 750 Taiwan prostitutes had cervical cytology performed at the time of required gonorrhea screening. The prostitutes represented a unique group in which the variables of frequent intercourse with multiple partners and multiple infection can be separated from early coital experience. Cervical cytology was obtained and processed by the Pathology Department at Navy Medical Research Unit No. 2. A bilingual questionnaire was completed with the aid of a medical interpreter. The results included only eight of the 750 specimens in the "dysplasia plus" category for a rate of 10.7 per 1,000. The low yield of abnormal cytology suggests the factors of multiple partners, frequent intercourse, and high gonorrhea infection rate are not significant epidemiologically if they occur after the phase of active metaplasia, occurring during the first pregnancy or early adolescence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Birth outcomes of prostituting adolescents.

In 1989, researchers at the University of Washington, Division of Adolescent Medicine, described the multifactorial risks of pregnancy for adolescents engaged in prostitution activities. Factors identified as placing this population at particular risk were transience, substance abuse, violence, sexually transmitted diseases, inadequate (or no) medical care, and poor nutrition. The relationship between such risks in the pregnant adolescent and poor birth outcome has been widely demonstrated. In this follow-up study, we describe the birth outcomes of 54 of the original sample of 61 prostituting adolescents who delivered infants between November 1987 and November 1989 in Seattle, Washington. The data were collected by retrospective chart review. Maternal factors evaluated were 1) age 2) ethnic group 3) substance abuse history 4) number of prenatal visits 5) maternal complications and 6) parity. The infant inpatient charts were reviewed for the following characteristics: 1) birth weight 2) occipitofrontal head circumference 3) length 4) Apgar scores and 5) neonatal complications. Results indicated high rates of maternal and infant complications with respect to: preterm birth (22%), precipitous delivery (15%), pregnancy-induced hypertension (16%), positive toxicology screens (28%), meconium staining (30%), infant hypertonicity (30%), and small for gestational age infants (14.5%).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

A risk profile comparison of homeless youth involved in prostitution and homeless youth not involved.

All initial visits (n = 620) of runaway/homeless youths to an outpatient medical clinic over a 12-month period (July 1988-June 1989) were analyzed. Of these visits, 467 made by youth not involved in prostitution were compared with 153 visits by youth who were involved. According to the data from an adolescent risk profile interview, homeless youth involved in prostitution are at greater risk for a wide variety of medical problems and health-compromising behaviors, including drug abuse, suicide, and depression. The implications for public health and social policy are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Prostitution and the military: planning AIDS intervention in Belize.

First world militaries based in 'third world' countries offer an appropriate context for developing AIDS intervention models that are keyed to large-scale population movements and regional differences in HIV infection. In this work, the ethnographic concept of 'social interface' replaces the epidemiological concept of 'risk group' to allow for a more dynamic analysis of the particular forms of interactions between groups that may be linked to the sexual transmission of HIV. The social interface between military and sex workers in Belize displays two distinct forms of organization: (1) 'recognized prostitution' in health-regulated brothels, and (2) 'quasi-prostitution' in non-health regulated public sites such as bars and hotels. These two forms are also distinguished by the ethnicity, national origin, and professional identity of sex workers. Based on survey-form participant-observation in Belize and cross-cultural data on condom use, the social identity of sex workers emerges as a factor crucial to understanding how public health information is incorporated by heterosexuals who put themselves at risk for HIV in different social contexts. The scope of analysis shifts between the personal and transnational; discussion of the possibilities for inter-governmental negotiations regarding AIDS policy issues is included.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

HTLV infection in a group of prostitutes and their male sexual clients in Brazil: seroprevalence and risk factors.

Sera from 653 female prostitutes and 153 male sexual clients living in the city of Santos, São Paulo, Brazil, were tested for the presence of antibodies to human T cell lymphotropic virus types I and II. Seroprevalence for HTLV-I in the females was 2.8% and in the males 2.0%. Infection by HTLV-II could not be demonstrated. Seropositivity to HTLV-I was not associated with intravenous drug use, modality of sexual behaviour or a history of sexually transmitted disease. Among the prostitutes, the prevalence of anti-HTLV-I antibodies was 3 times higher in those with a history of blood transfusion (P = 0.01).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection in adolescent prostitutes in detention.

In the first quarter of 1983, four (17%) of 24 cases of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection diagnosed in female adolescent detainees in King County, Washington were caused by penicillinase-producing (PPNG) strains. Twelve (3%) of 397 reported cases of female gonorrhea in the rest of King County during this time were caused by PPNG strains (p less than 0.01). All the detainees with PPNG infection were prostitutes. Their case histories are presented here. Three had signs and symptoms suggestive of pelvic inflammatory disease. In areas with endemic PPNG, all isolates of N. gonorrhoeae from female adolescent detainees should be tested for pencillinase production, and all prostitutes with genitourinary symptoms suggestive of gonorrhea should be treated with an antimicrobial resistant to pencillinase.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Can prostitutes marry? Thai attitudes toward female sex workers.

This study explores popular attitudes towards female sex workers in Thailand by examining the general public's perceptions of a prostitute's ability to marry based on focus group data. The tentative conclusion emerging from our findings that the general public believes sex workers can marry is that a relative lack of severe or lasting social stigma is an important part of a Thai context that facilitates recruitment into prostitution and permits it to persist on a widespread scale. We interpret this conclusion in terms of the broader value system in Thai society. Although our findings are implicitly comparative in nature, a lack of comparable information from other countries on how those who provide commercial sex are viewed by the general population prevents a more definitive conclusion. There is an obvious need for research on this topic as well as on how sex workers view themselves, and how this translates into actual behavior. Data set used: focus group transcripts from the project "The influence of primary female partners and male peers on male extramarital sexual behavior in Thailand".

Adult↗
PubMed1998

HIV prevention with male prostitutes and patrons of hustler bars: replication of an HIV preventive intervention.

The core objectives of this study were to document the process by which a community-based organization replicated and adapted an experimentally developed intervention to its own use and to explore the effectiveness of that HIV prevention program for male prostitutes and other patrons in New York City "hustler" bars. The intervention model employed was based on previous research with gay men (Kelly, St. Lawrence, Diaz, et al., 1991; Kelly, St. Lawrence, Stevenson, et al., 1992) and inspired by diffusion of innovation theory (Rogers, 1995). The effects of the current intervention were assessed on a sample of 1,741 male prostitutes and bar patrons. Analyses indicated significant reductions in paid, unprotected sexual intercourse and oral sex following the intervention. Analyses further indicated that the data were partially consistent with the program's model, which specified that norms were the putative mediator of behavior change in the intervention. Also, the intervention's effects varied by bar and by participants' race/ethnicity. Data support the utility of the intervention model for an urban sample of men at high risk for HIV infection. The importance of exploring the mechanisms that underlie the intervention is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Prevalence of HIV infection and risk behaviour among street prostitutes in Rome, 1997-1998.

A cross-sectional survey was carried out between April 1997 and February 1998 among street prostitutes in Rome. The study population (n = 142) consisted of 102 women and 40 transsexuals: 20% from Western Europe, 38% Eastern Europe, 23% Latin America and 17% Africa. Two-thirds of the population had more than 20 clients during the last week and most respondents (95%) reported always using condoms with clients. Eight per cent of the women and 2% of the transsexuals report a history of injecting drug use. Only 38% of the women with a stable partner reported use of contraceptives and 33% of them had undergone a voluntary abortion during the last year. Only 38% of the women had been checked for STDs during the last year, compared with 80% of the transsexuals. The HIV-prevalence was 6% among the women and 20% among the transsexuals. Four out of the six positive women and one of the positive transsexuals had a history of injecting drug use. Five out of the six HIV-positive women were Italian. Transsexual prostitutes seem to pay more attention to their medical wellbeing compared with females who rarely go for medical check-ups and only a minority uses efficient contraceptive methods.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Behavioural patterns and HIV infection among drug using transvestites practising prostitution in Rome.

Fifty-seven male prostitutes who were also drug users, underwent HIV-1 testing in a drug dependency unit in Rome. The overall prevalence of HIV antibody was 74% (42/57). Of the 57 subjects, 46 completed a standard questionnaire and were interviewed by a trained psychologist about use of drugs, sexual and AIDS-related behaviours. Among the 46 patients responding to the questionnaire, the prevalence of HIV was 67% (31/46). HIV prevalence increased with the duration of drug use, rising from 48% for less than 2 years use, to 64% for 2 to 4 years, and 100% for more than 4 years. It also increased with duration of stay in Italy: from 59% for less than 2 years, 78% for 2-4 years and to 83% for more than 4 years. Prevalence of HIV antibody was higher among those who reported injecting drugs (73% vs 63%), or who reported needle sharing (83% vs 62%). Higher prevalence was also related to the number of partners in the last year (74% for more than 1,500 partners vs 50% for less than 1,500), and to non-use of condoms (70% for 'sometimes/never' vs 50% for 'always'). The results indicate that further educational outreach efforts are required among male transvestite prostitutes since they may constitute a potential source of infection for their clients.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Female prostitutes in south London: use of heroin, cocaine and alcohol, and their relationship to health risk behaviours.

The present study looks at the association between drug and alcohol use and sexual risk behaviours in a sample of 51 women who were currently working as prostitutes and also currently using opiates and/or stimulants. Most women reported regularly using condoms with clients but a substantial minority sometimes had unprotected sex with clients. There was no overall association between any of the drug use variables (including the use of crack cocaine) and the likelihood of unprotected sex. The use of drugs appears to have affected the sexual practices of different women in different ways: a substantial minority (just under a quarter of the sample) reported that for them, drug use did reduce the chances that they would use a condom. There was a link between willingness to have unprotected sex for more money and drinking larger amounts and drinking more often. The results also indicate that these women were exposed to a variety of health risks, including sharing injecting equipment and having unprotected sex with their regular partner who was often a current or former drug injector. A sub-sample (n = 34) completed a confidential questionnaire which showed that one-third had previously had at least one sexually transmitted disease and 15% of them had been infected during the previous year. These findings about rates of STD infection raise questions about the extent to which self-reported condom use by prostitutes can be used as an indicator of actual levels of infection risk.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1996

Signs and symptoms of prevalent and incident cases of gonorrhea and genital chlamydial infection among female prostitutes in Kinshasa, Zaire.

Most studies that have examined the clinical features of gonorrhea and chlamydial infection have been based on prevalent cases (cases of undetermined onset). In our investigation, we compared signs and symptoms of incident (new) cases of these infections with those observed in prevalent cases (involving the same women) that were diagnosed at enrollment in a prospective study of female prostitutes in Kinshasa, Zaire. Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Chlamydia trachomatis was present at enrollment in 29.2% (225 of 771) of the women in the study. As they were followed during the study, 509 (66.0%) had at least one episode of gonorrhea or chlamydial infection. No symptom was significantly associated with these infections at enrollment or during follow-up. Clinical signs, such as endocervical mucopus (P < .001) and vaginal discharge (P = .001), were associated with both the prevalent and incident cases. However, none of these signs was simultaneously sensitive and specific for detection of these infections. The frequency of clinical signs was significantly reduced after successful treatment (all P values, < .05). This study shows that a syndromic approach to screening for gonococcal and chlamydial infections in female prostitutes is as problematic for acute incident cases as for prevalent cases. Therefore, there is still an urgent need for simple, cheap, reliable tests that could be used in sexually transmitted disease intervention programs in developing countries.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1989

Genital human papillomavirus infection in Panama City prostitutes.

Little is known of the natural history of genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in women from high-risk populations. Samples were collected from 183 Panama City prostitutes and assessed for HPV (filter in situ DNA hybridization) and for sexually transmitted agents. The cohort was followed for 8 mo; 51% of subjects completed four monthly return visits and 16% were sampled eight times. The proportion of women found infected with HPV increased significantly with increasing numbers of consecutive samples tested; 38 (21%) of 183 women were positive after one visit and 46 (82%) of 56 who completed six visits were infected. The pattern of viral detection over time was not random, which implied that most prostitutes were persistently infected with genital HPVs and that either scattered foci of infection or periodic reactivation of latent virus occurred. Our findings suggest that multiple sampling is necessary to accurately estimate HPV infection rates and to define whether patterns of DNA expression are present.

Adolescent↗