AEGiS-13IAC: Sex workers in Accra, Ghana Need to target new recruits entering the trade.

13th International AIDS Conference


Durban, South Africa - July 9-July 14, 2000

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Sex workers in Accra, Ghana Need to target new recruits entering the trade.

Int Conf AIDS 2000 Jul 9-14; 13:(abstract no. ThOrC674)

Khonde N, Asamoah-Adu C, Pepin J, Yeboah E, Avorkliyah M, Mensah J, Bekoe J, Homiah S, Newton K
N. Khonde, PO Box 710, Achimota, Accra, Ghana, Tel.: +233 21 241 452, Fax: +233 21 233 340, E-mail: waptcas2@ghana.com

BACKGROUND: A cross-sectional study was undertaken to describe the epidemiology of HIV infection among sex workers (SW) of Accra, Ghana.

METHODS: 1257 SW were enrolled between March 97 and March 99. Overall, 50.0% were HIV-infected. Data were obtained on age, duration of sex work (in months), type of sex work (mobile or home-based), presence of gonococcus (NG) by PCR, number of clients the previous day, price per intercourse (Cedis) frequency of having had é 1 unprotected intercourse (UI) the previous day.

RESULTS: Duration Mean HIV+ NG+ Mobile Clients Mean UI previous sex work age (y) (%) (%) (%) yesterday price day (%) 0-5 m 25.3 39.9 40.2 63.8 2.8 5850 49.0 6-11 m 27.4 52.4 40.7 50.0 3.2 5300 40.2 12-23 m 28.0 52.9 26.3 50.3 2.8 4292 45.8 24-59 m 30.8 54.9 27.0 44.3 2.5 3520 45.0 é 60 m 38.1 65.3 34.1 38.0 2.5 3266 39.1 p-value >0.001 >0.001 0.08 >0.001 0.002 >0.001 0.25

CONCLUSIONS: HIV infection occurs very early after the beginning of sex work. Intervention programmes need to identify and educate young sex workers as soon as they enter prostitution if they are to have an impact on HIV incidence among this risk group.

Keywords: AEGIS, Prostitution, HIV Infections, Health Services Needs and Demand, Incidence, Cross-Sectional Studies, HIV Seropositivity, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Ghana, HumanKWDaegis,prostitution,hivinfections,healthservicesneedsanddemand,incidence,cross-sectionalstudies,hivseropositivity,neisseriagonorrhoeae,ghana,human
000709
ThOrC674

Copyright © 2000 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.