HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases among female prostitutes in Kinshasa

HIV and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Female Sex Workers in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, in 2002

“…A similar cross-sectional study conducted in 1988 among hotel-, home-, and street-based sex workers in Kinshasa found an HIV prevalence of 35%. 1 The HIV prevalence among the same 3 categories of FSWs in the current study was 22.5%, suggesting a decline in HIV prevalence. Also, the prevalence of other STIs decreased in the 3 overlapping categories: the prevalence of syphilis dropped from 16% in 1988 to 3.5% in 2002, gonorrhea from 23% to 8.1%, chlamydial infection from 13% to 5.2%, and trichomoniasis from 22% to 9.2%.…”

“…In contrast in 1988, 8% of hotel-based, 6% of home-based, and 20% of street-based sex workers reported regular condom use. 1 The current study has demonstrated furthermore that the sex worker population may have changed considerably over time. At the beginning of the project, the clinic could easily categorize all women according to the place where clients were recruited, i.e., in hotels, at home, or on the street.…”

“…Of the women attending the clinic, 35% were HIV-seropositive and 75% had at least one STI: 16% had serologic evidence of active syphilis, 23% gonorrhea, 13% Chlamydia trachomatis infections, 22% trichomoniasis, and 5% were diagnosed with genital ulcer disease. 1 Political instability and war since 1993 have driven the Democratic Republic of Congo into a deep socioeconomic crisis. Young girls in Kinshasa as well as married, abandoned, or widowed women are pushed into prostitution as a survival mechanism.…”

The Viral Etiology of AIDS‐Associated Malignancies

“…The rate of genital HPVs in the United States, as detected by PCR of the L1 region, is ~39.2% (Peyton et al, 2001). Estimates of the rates of HPV in Africa vary from 14% to 60% depending on the country, the coincident STDs, and the methods of detection (Czegledy et al, 1992;Gravitt et al, 2002;Hassen et al, 2003;Langley et al, 1996;Mayaud et al, 2001;Motti et al, 1996;Nzila et al, 1991;O'Farrell et al, 1989;Ong et al, 1993;Serwadda et al, 1999;St. Louis et al, 1993;Thomas et al, 2004;Waddell et al, 1996;Williamson et al, 2002).…”

The Dynamics of Substance Use and Sex Networks in HIV Transmission

“…In Africa, the early identification and utilization of core groups of the population, particularly sex workers, to monitor the epidemic led to a consideration of popula-tion mixing patterns. [33][34][35][36] In efforts to more fully understand the dynamics underlying observed population mixing patterns, researchers have begun to focus on environmental factors, such as migratory labor practices, which facilitate transmission through the geographic diffusion and mixing of populations with varying HIV prevalences. [37][38][39][40][41] For example, investigators in Thailand found that 25% of truckers in their study had had sex with commercial sex workers, as well as with other female partners, such as their wives.…”