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Sex Transm Infect doi:10.1136/sti.2007.027664

A study on HIV and HCV among commercial sex workers in Tallinn

  1. Anneli Uusküla (anneli.uuskula{at}ut.ee)
  1. University of Tartu, Estonia
    1. Krista Fischer (krista.fischer{at}ut.ee)
    1. Department of Health, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia, Estonia
      1. Riina Raudne (riina.raudne{at}gmail.com)
      1. National Institute for Health Development, Tallinn, Estonia, Estonia
        1. Helle Kilgi (helle.kilgi{at}ut.ee)
        1. Department of mathematical statistics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia, Estonia
          1. Roman Krylov (roman.krylov{at}gmail.com)
          1. NGO Atoll, Tallinn, Estonia, Estonia
            1. Mika Salminen (mika.salminen{at}ktl.fi)
            1. Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland, Finland
              1. Henrikki Brummer-Korvenkontio (henrikki.brummer{at}ktl.fi)
              1. Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland, Finland
                1. Janet St. Lawrence (soa1{at}cdc.gov)
                1. Division of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA, United States
                  1. Sevgi Aral (soa1{at}cdc.gov)
                  1. Division of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA, United States
                    • Published Online First 6 February 2008

                    Abstract

                    Estonia is confronted by a dramatic expansion of the initially injection drug use driven HIV epidemic. Little is known on HIV occurrence in population groups at high risk other than injection drug users.

                    Objective: to obtain data on the prevalence of HIV and HCV among female sex workers (FSW) in Tallinn. Design: an unlinked, anonymous, cross sectional survey of female sex workers recruited in Tallinn from October 2005 to May 2006.

                    Methods: FSW (N=227) were recruited for the survey and biological sample collection (HIV, HCV antibodies detection) using a combination of time-location, community and respondent driven sampling.

                    Results: Among 227 women the HIV and HCV prevalences were 7.6% (95% CI 4.6-12.5%) and 7.9% (95% CI 4.5-12.6%), accordingly. HIV prevalence was higher among FSW working in the street (OR=6.4; 95% CI 1.1-35.6) and at the brothels, apartments supervised by organised sex industry (OR=5.0; 95% CI 1.3-18.4). The duration of sex work was negatively associated with HIV prevalence (OR= 0.78; 95% CI 0.63-0.97).

                    Conclusions: Prevention needs of FSWs in this area include increasing rates of HIV-testing and putting in place effective programs that can help extend HIV prevention behaviors across a range of sexual and drug use risk behaviors.

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