Skip to main content
NCBI home page
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 1994 Dec;84(12):2000–2002. doi: 10.2105/ajph.84.12.2000

HIV infection, risk behaviors, and depressive symptoms among Puerto Rican sex workers.

M Alegría 1, M Vera 1, D H Freeman Jr 1, R Robles 1, M C Santos 1, C L Rivera 1
PMCID: PMC1615399  PMID: 7998647

Abstract

This paper examines the association of depressive symptoms with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and risk behaviors among 127 sex workers. Data were obtained by a structured interview and blood specimens tested for HIV. Findings showed a high prevalence rate of depressive symptoms for all sex workers regardless of HIV infection status. Results of a logistic regression analysis indicated that the use of injected drugs and engaging in unprotected intercourse with clients were strongly associated with a high level of depressive symptoms.

Full text

PDF
2000

Selected References

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

  1. Campbell C. A. Prostitution, AIDS, and preventive health behavior. Soc Sci Med. 1991;32(12):1367–1378. doi: 10.1016/0277-9536(91)90197-k. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Chu S. Y., Peterman T. A., Doll L. S., Buehler J. W., Curran J. W. AIDS in bisexual men in the United States: epidemiology and transmission to women. Am J Public Health. 1992 Feb;82(2):220–224. doi: 10.2105/ajph.82.2.220. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Comstock G. W., Helsing K. J. Symptoms of depression in two communities. Psychol Med. 1976 Nov;6(4):551–563. doi: 10.1017/s0033291700018171. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Eaton W. W., Kessler L. G. Rates of symptoms of depression in a national sample. Am J Epidemiol. 1981 Oct;114(4):528–538. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113218. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Ellerbrock T. V., Bush T. J., Chamberland M. E., Oxtoby M. J. Epidemiology of women with AIDS in the United States, 1981 through 1990. A comparison with heterosexual men with AIDS. JAMA. 1991 Jun 12;265(22):2971–2975. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hintz S., Kuck J., Peterkin J. J., Volk D. M., Zisook S. Depression in the context of human immunodeficiency virus infection: implications for treatment. J Clin Psychiatry. 1990 Dec;51(12):497–501. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Iwata N., Okuyama Y., Kawakami Y., Saito K. Prevalence of depressive symptoms in a Japanese occupational setting: a preliminary study. Am J Public Health. 1989 Nov;79(11):1486–1489. doi: 10.2105/ajph.79.11.1486. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. James M. E., Rubin C. P., Willis S. E. Drug abuse and psychiatric findings in HIV-seropositive pregnant patients. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 1991 Jan;13(1):4–8. doi: 10.1016/0163-8343(91)90003-f. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Khabbaz R. F., Darrow W. W., Hartley T. M., Witte J., Cohen J. B., French J., Gill P. S., Potterat J., Sikes R. K., Reich R. Seroprevalence and risk factors for HTLV-I/II infection among female prostitutes in the United States. JAMA. 1990 Jan 5;263(1):60–64. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Myers J. K., Weissman M. M. Use of a self-report symptom scale to detect depression in a community sample. Am J Psychiatry. 1980 Sep;137(9):1081–1084. doi: 10.1176/ajp.137.9.1081. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Ngugi E. N., Plummer F. A., Simonsen J. N., Cameron D. W., Bosire M., Waiyaki P., Ronald A. R., Ndinya-Achola J. O. Prevention of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus in Africa: effectiveness of condom promotion and health education among prostitutes. Lancet. 1988 Oct 15;2(8616):887–890. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(88)92480-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Rabkin J. G., Williams J. B., Remien R. H., Goetz R., Kertzner R., Gorman J. M. Depression, distress, lymphocyte subsets, and human immunodeficiency virus symptoms on two occasions in HIV-positive homosexual men. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1991 Feb;48(2):111–119. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1991.01810260019002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Roberts R. E., Vernon S. W. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale: its use in a community sample. Am J Psychiatry. 1983 Jan;140(1):41–46. doi: 10.1176/ajp.140.1.41. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Selik R. M., Castro K. G., Pappaioanou M. Racial/ethnic differences in the risk of AIDS in the United States. Am J Public Health. 1988 Dec;78(12):1539–1545. doi: 10.2105/ajph.78.12.1539. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Vera M., Alegría M., Freeman D., Robles R. R., Ríos R., Ríos C. F. Depressive symptoms among Puerto Ricans: island poor compared with residents of the New York City area. Am J Epidemiol. 1991 Sep 1;134(5):502–510. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a116122. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Willoughby A. AIDS in women: epidemiology. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 1989 Sep;32(3):429–436. doi: 10.1097/00003081-198909000-00005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. van den Hoek A., van Haastrecht H. J., Coutinho R. A. Heterosexual behaviour of intravenous drug users in Amsterdam: implications for the AIDS epidemic. AIDS. 1990 May;4(5):449–453. doi: 10.1097/00002030-199005000-00011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES