Pavia NR, ngora-Biachi RA, Vera-Gamboa L, Gonzalez-Martinez P, Flores-Abuxapqui J, Moguel-Rodriguez W, Lara-Pereda D, Alonso-Salomon G; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 2002 Jul 7-12; 14: abstract no. MoPeC3505.
Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
BACKGROUND: Female sex workers are a vulnerable group for infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), due to their risky sexual practices, their multiple and anonymous sexual partners and their inconsistency in the use of preventative measures. The objective of this work was to evaluate the knowledge of and behavior towards infection by HIV, and to identify the risk factors and prevalence of HIV among female sex workers (FSW) in Yucatan, Mexico. METHODS: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of data from an open-enrollment cohort. A clinical evaluation, epidemiological questionnaire and detection of antibodies for HIV was carried out on 100 FSW in Yucatan, Mexico, every six months from January 1998 to July 1999. RESULTS: The average age was 32 (18-47). The sexually transmitted diseases showed a prevalence of 45% and genital ulcers of 7%. 16% of the women used a condom in all of their sexual intercourses; 84% of the women knew of preventative measures but only 10% had undergone some effective behavioural change. The prevalence of infection by HIV was 1%. CONCLUSIONS: We found the information about AIDS, the preventative measures and changes in behavior to be inadequate in the group studied. In spite of the lack of knowledge and use of preventative measures for HIV, the prevalence for infection was low and represents an opportunity to design informative and preventative intervention programs for this group of the population.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Behavior
- Condoms
- Female
- HIV Infections
- HIV Seropositivity
- Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
- Humans
- Knowledge
- Mexico
- Prevalence
- Prostitution
- Risk Factors
- Risk-Taking
- Sexual Behavior
- Sexual Partners
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- epidemiology
Other ID:
UI: 102255996
From Meeting Abstracts