Skip to main content
PMC home page
Genitourinary Medicine logoLink to Genitourinary Medicine
. 1989 Jun;65(3):146–150. doi: 10.1136/sti.65.3.146

HIV infection and STD in drug addicted prostitutes in Amsterdam: potential for heterosexual HIV transmission.

J A van den Hoek 1, H J van Haastrecht 1, B Scheeringa-Troost 1, J Goudsmit 1, R A Coutinho 1
PMCID: PMC1194320  PMID: 2788121

Abstract

To assess the potential role of drug using prostitutes in the heterosexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), 117 prostitutes, recruited from December 1985 to November 1987 at a weekly evening sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinic for drug using prostitutes only, were studied for the prevalence of HIV and STD. Intravenous drug use was reported by 96 (82%) of the women. Antibody to HIV was found in 35/117 (30%) women, all but one of whom had been using drugs intravenously. Most (73, 62%) of the prostitutes reported having had more than 2000 clients each in the preceding five years. In the six months preceding enrollment to the study they had practised mainly vaginal (106/117) and orogenital (82/117) intercourse; 90% (105/117) reported frequent use of condoms in vaginal intercourse and 65% (68/105) in orogenital intercourse. Despite frequent condom use, 81% (84/104) contracted one or more STD in this period. Considering the high incidence of HIV and STD and the finding by others that the presence of STD may facilitate transmission of HIV, we conclude that the potential for HIV transmission from these prostitutes to their clients (and vice versa) was clearly present.

Full text

PDF
148

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Clumck N., Van de Perre P., Caral M., Rouvroy D., Nzaramba D. Heterosexual promiscuity among African patients with AIDS. N Engl J Med. 1985 Jul 18;313(3):182–182. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Coutinho R. A., Schoonhoven F. J., van den Hoek J. A., Emsbroek J. A. Influence of special surveillance programmes and AIDS on declining incidence of syphilis in Amsterdam. Genitourin Med. 1987 Jun;63(3):210–213. doi: 10.1136/sti.63.3.210. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. D'Costa L. J., Plummer F. A., Bowmer I., Fransen L., Piot P., Ronald A. R., Nsanze H. Prostitutes are a major reservoir of sexually transmitted diseases in Nairobi, Kenya. Sex Transm Dis. 1985 Apr-Jun;12(2):64–67. doi: 10.1097/00007435-198504000-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Greenblatt R. M., Lukehart S. A., Plummer F. A., Quinn T. C., Critchlow C. W., Ashley R. L., D'Costa L. J., Ndinya-Achola J. O., Corey L., Ronald A. R. Genital ulceration as a risk factor for human immunodeficiency virus infection. AIDS. 1988 Feb;2(1):47–50. doi: 10.1097/00002030-198802000-00008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Holmberg S. D., Stewart J. A., Gerber A. R., Byers R. H., Lee F. K., O'Malley P. M., Nahmias A. J. Prior herpes simplex virus type 2 infection as a risk factor for HIV infection. JAMA. 1988 Feb 19;259(7):1048–1050. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Kreiss J. K., Koech D., Plummer F. A., Holmes K. K., Lightfoote M., Piot P., Ronald A. R., Ndinya-Achola J. O., D'Costa L. J., Roberts P. AIDS virus infection in Nairobi prostitutes. Spread of the epidemic to East Africa. N Engl J Med. 1986 Feb 13;314(7):414–418. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198602133140704. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Lange J. M., Coutinho R. A., Krone W. J., Verdonck L. F., Danner S. A., van der Noordaa J., Goudsmit J. Distinct IgG recognition patterns during progression of subclinical and clinical infection with lymphadenopathy associated virus/human T lymphotropic virus. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1986 Jan 25;292(6515):228–230. doi: 10.1136/bmj.292.6515.228. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Meheus A., De Clercq A., Prat R. Prevalence of gonorrhoea in prostitutes in a Central African town. Br J Vener Dis. 1974 Feb;50(1):50–52. doi: 10.1136/sti.50.1.50. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Plorde D. S. Sexually transmitted diseases in Ethiopia. Social factors contributing to their spread and implications for developing countries. Br J Vener Dis. 1981 Dec;57(6):357–362. doi: 10.1136/sti.57.6.357. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Plummer F. A., D'Costa L. J., Nsanze H., Dylewski J., Karasira P., Ronald A. R. Epidemiology of chancroid and Haemophilus ducreyi in Nairobi, Kenya. Lancet. 1983 Dec 3;2(8362):1293–1295. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(83)91161-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Quinn T. C., Glasser D., Cannon R. O., Matuszak D. L., Dunning R. W., Kline R. L., Campbell C. H., Israel E., Fauci A. S., Hook E. W., 3rd Human immunodeficiency virus infection among patients attending clinics for sexually transmitted diseases. N Engl J Med. 1988 Jan 28;318(4):197–203. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198801283180401. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Reesink H. W., Lelie P. N., Huisman J. G., Schaasberg W., Gonsalves M., Aaij C., Winkel I. N., van der Does J. A., Hekker A. C., Desmyter J. Evaluation of six enzyme immunoassays for antibody against human immunodeficiency virus. Lancet. 1986 Aug 30;2(8505):483–486. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(86)90358-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Van de Perre P., Clumeck N., Carael M., Nzabihimana E., Robert-Guroff M., De Mol P., Freyens P., Butzler J. P., Gallo R. C., Kanyamupira J. B. Female prostitutes: a risk group for infection with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III. Lancet. 1985 Sep 7;2(8454):524–527. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(85)90462-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Van de Perre P., De Clercq A., Cogniaux-Leclerc J., Nzaramba D., Butzler J. P., Sprecher-Goldberger S. Detection of HIV p17 antigen in lymphocytes but not epithelial cells from cervicovaginal secretions of women seropositive for HIV: implications for heterosexual transmission of the virus. Genitourin Med. 1988 Feb;64(1):30–33. doi: 10.1136/sti.64.1.30. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. van den Hoek J. A., Coutinho R. A., van Haastrecht H. J., van Zadelhoff A. W., Goudsmit J. Prevalence and risk factors of HIV infections among drug users and drug-using prostitutes in Amsterdam. AIDS. 1988 Feb;2(1):55–60. doi: 10.1097/00002030-198802000-00010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. van den Hoek J. A., Jansen Schoonhoven F., van Arnhem Q., Coutinho R. A. Seksueel overdraagbare aandoeningen bij aan heroïne verslaafde prostitué(e)s in Amsterdam, 1982. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 1984 Feb 11;128(6):272–274. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Genitourinary Medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES