AEGiS-13IAC: STD rates over one year among Indonesian sex workers exposed in different degrees to a peer health education programme in Surabaya.

13th International AIDS Conference

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

STD rates over one year among Indonesian sex workers exposed in different degrees to a peer health education programme in Surabaya.

Int Conf AIDS 2000 Jul 9-14; 13:(abstract no. ThOrC764)

Deville W, Barakbah Y, Laga M, Didik Y, Trioga RS, Suesen N, Atasiati S
W. Deville, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, van der Boechorstraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, Netherlands, Tel.: +31 20 444 81 66, Fax: +31 20 444 83 94, E-mail: w.deville.social@med.vu.nl

BACKGROUND: 1-To study the STD rates over one year in Sex Workers (SWs) exposed in different degrees to a peer health education progra-mme. 2- To study the impact of a two-monthly STD screening and treatment programme in women complying with the schedule.

METHODS: Information was collected among Peer Health Educators (PHEs) (n = 28), women staying in the same houses (n = 113), SWs friends of PHEs (n = 78) and other SWs (n = 420) during one year. The Peer Education Programme was organised by a NGO. 81 SWs were attending 7 two-monthly visits over one year at a health centre or a drop-in clinic.

RESULTS: Overall base-line prevalence are for Gonococci 15%, Chlamydia Trachomatis 18%, RPR 8%, TPHA 16%, Trichomonas vaginalis 4%, HbsAg 14%. Cross-sectional analysis of women attending the clinics show a decrease over a year in Gonococci (15% to 6.5%), in Chlamydia (18% to 10% - but only during the last visit) and RPR (8% to 5%). Longitudinal analysis of the 81 women complying shows the same level of decrease in incidence for Gonococci, but mainly after the first visit. Chlamydia shows a steady state around 20% up to the one but last visit and RPR shows a 2% decrease from 6.6%. Peer Health Educators and their colleagues in the same brothels, who are younger and have slightly more clients compared to other SWs, have initially higher figures for Gonococci and RPR. Chlamydia rates are varying. Differences are statistically not significant.

CONCLUSIONS: The two-monthly screening programme has an effect on the existing infections, but re-infection rates are high, especially for Chlamydia Trachomatis. Any effect of the peer health education programme on the PHEs at the level of STD-rates is still limited.

Keywords: AEGIS, Prostitution, Health Education, Chlamydia trachomatis, Chlamydia Infections, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Prevalence, Incidence, Cross-Sectional Studies, Human, Female, Education
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