5th International AIDS Conference Montreal, Quebec, Canada — Jun 4-9, 1989

Int Conf AIDS 1989 Jun 4-9; 5:173 (abstract no. A.574)
Gayet-Mengelle C, Puel J, Averous S, Bazex J; Laboratoire de Virologie, CHU Purpan, Toulouse, France

OBJECTIVE: To assess the risk of contamination through prostitution (male or female) in our city.

METHODS: We systematically screened anti HIV-1 antibodies in 97 female prostitutes (9 coming from Ghana) and 16 transvestites or transsexuals, regularly consulting at the Venereal Diseases Centre since May 1985, to January 1989. Screenings were realised using 2 immunoenzymatics techniques (Abbott and Wellcome). All positive sera were confirmed by the Western-blot assay (Du Pont De Nemours).

RESULTS: 5 of the 97 prostitutes were seropositive: we screened the first one in 1985, two others in 1986, one in 1987, and one who seroconverted in 1988. But two of them were intravenous drug abusers, so it was not possible to incriminate sexual transmission with certainty. None of the Ghanean was seropositive. Among the transvestites and transsexuals, one patient seroconverted in 1985, and 3 patients were seropositive (2 in 1986 and 1 in 1987). For these patients drug addiction is unknown.

CONCLUSION: The prostitute population of Toulouse seems to be relatively free of HIV-1 contamination. But these results do not entirely reflect the true situation as a marginal prostitution also exists with people who are generally not subject to any control. Although these results are relatively reassuring, elementary precautions must be taken to prevent the spread of the disease, since contamination through prostitution has been shown to be a real risk.

890604
A574

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