Young age is a risk factor for HIV among female sex workers—An experience from India

• Published in: The Journal of infection 2006-10, Vol.53 (4), p.255-259
• Main Authors: Sarkar, Kamalesh, Bal, Baishali, Mukherjee, Rita, Saha, Malay Kumar, Chakraborty, Sekhar, Niyogi, Swapan Kumar, Bhattacharya, Sujit Kumar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Distribution; Age Factors; AIDS Serodiagnosis; Biological and medical sciences; Cervical ectopy; Child; Female; General aspects; Genital tract; HIV Antibodies - blood; HIV Infections - diagnosis; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV-1 - immunology; HIV-2 - immunology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human immunodeficiency virus 1; Human immunodeficiency virus 2; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immunodeficiencies; Immunodeficiencies. Immunoglobulinopathies; Immunopathology; India; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Risk factor; Risk Factors; Risk-Taking; Sex Work; Sex worker; Sexual Behavior; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - epidemiology; Sexually transmitted infection; Surveys and Questionnaires; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids
• ISSN: 0163-4453; 1532-2742
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2005.11.009

A cross-sectional community-based study was conducted among brothel-based sex workers of West Bengal, eastern India, to study the prevalence of HIV and associated risk factors. Unlinked anonymous HIV testing was performed on 2076 sex workers. Of these, 558 were interviewed using a pre-tested questionnaire to study their risk factors. Overall HIV sero-prevalence was 5.9%. All infections were HIV-1, except that four sex workers from Kolkata were infected with HIV-2. Surprisingly, HIV infection was much higher (12.5%) in younger sex workers (age ≤20 years) compared with older age groups (5.4%) ( P = 0.002; odds ratio 2.40, 95% CI: 1.29–4.38). This could be associated with larger areas of cervical ectopy of younger sex workers who are subjected to repeated trauma during sexual intercourse, facilitating higher HIV transmission. Behavioral factors may increase a young sex worker's risk of acquiring HIV infection, including professional immaturity with clients, which might lead to more unprotected sex. HIV status was associated with other sexually transmitted infection in the previous year but was not associated with literacy status, daily income, duration of sex work, number of clients entertained per day, entertaining clients outside a brothel (in a hotel), and reported condom use.