Article Text

Download PDFPDF
Decreasing STD incidence and increasing condom use among Chinese sex workers following a short term intervention: a prospective cohort study
  1. S Ma1,3,
  2. N H T M Dukers1,
  3. A van den Hoek1,
  4. F Yuliang2,
  5. C Zhiheng2,
  6. F Jiangting2,
  7. Z Lina2,
  8. Z Xiuxing2
  1. 1Cluster Infectious Diseases, Municipal Health Service, Amsterdam, Netherlands
  2. 2Maternal and Neonatal Hospital, Guangzhou, China
  3. 3Gansu Provincial Anti-Epidemic Station, Gansu, China
  1. Correspondence to:
 Nicole H T M Dukers, Municipal Health Service, Cluster Infectious Diseases, Nieuwe Achtergracht 100, 1018 WT Amsterdam, Netherlands;
 ndukers{at}gggd.amsterdam.nl

Abstract

Objective: To describe the impact of a repeating behavioural intervention focused on preventive education and provision of STD testing and treatment services to female sex workers.

Methods: A prospective cohort study of 966 sex workers (first of its kind in China) was conducted in Guangzhou from March 1998 to October 1999. At each visit information was collected on sexual behaviour, condom use and knowledge about HIV transmission and condom use, education was given, STD were diagnosed, and treatment was provided free of charge. We evaluated trends in condom use, knowledge about HIV transmission and condom use, and STD incidences. Generalised estimating equations were applied to control for repeated measurements.

Results: The proportion of consistent condom use increased from the intake through the third follow up visit (from 30% to 81%), as well as the proportion of having good knowledge on HIV transmission (4.3% to 98.6%) and condom use (23.6% to 79.3%). The incidence of gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis, and chlamydia decreased over each follow up visit; from 17.5/100 person years (PY), 22.4/100PY, 65.9/100PY at the first follow up visit to 5.1/100PY, 3.0/100PY, 16.1/100PY at the third follow up visit, for each STD respectively.

Conclusions: STD care and prevention programmes targeting sex workers are feasible in China and, more importantly, intervention consisting of prevention education and STD care is likely to reduce unprotected sexual behaviour and STD incidence in this group at high risk for HIV and other STD infection.

  • sexually transmitted diseases
  • condom use
  • cohort study
  • sex worker
  • China
  • intervention programme

Statistics from Altmetric.com

Request Permissions

If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.

Footnotes

Linked Articles

  • Sex, work and health
    H Ward
  • Brief Encounters
    Rob Miller