2000/08/01 by Claudia Estcourt · 89 citations
Social Sciences · Medicine · Nursing · #Sex work and related issues #HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk #HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions #Medicine #Sex workers #Demographics #Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) #Demography #Sex work #Female sex #Gynecology #Public health #Genital warts #Family medicine #Population #Syphilis #Environmental health #Internal medicine #Research methodology #Nursing
paper · pdf · doi:10.1136/sti.76.4.294
published in Sexually Transmitted Infections 76(4), 294-298 (BMJ)
openalex publication_date 2000/08/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
OBJECTIVES: To assess prevalence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), risk behaviours, and demographics in male commercial sex workers (CSWs)/prostitutes in Sydney. METHODS: Retrospective, cross sectional study with two comparison groups. Demographic, behavioural, and morbidity data were analysed from standardised medical records of patients attending a public STI and HIV service in Sydney between January 1991 and March 1998. Two comparison groups were used: female CSWs and non-CSW working homosexual men who attended over the same time. RESULTS: 94 male CSWs, 1671 female CSWs, and 3541 non-CSW working homosexual men were included. The prevalence of HIV in male CSWs tested (6.5%) was significantly greater than in female CSWs (0.4%, p = 0.0001), but less than in non-CSW homosexual men (23.9%, p < 0.0001). Genital warts occurred significantly more frequently in male CSWs than in comparison groups. Prevalence of other STIs was similar in all groups. Male CSWs saw significantly fewer clients per week than female CSWs and male and female CSWs used condoms with almost all clients. Male CSWs reported significantly more non-work sexual partners than female CSWs and non-CSW homosexual men and were significantly more likely to have unprotected penetrative sex with their non-work partners than non-CSW homosexual men. Injecting drug use was significantly more frequent in male CSWs than in both comparison groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although male CSWs use condoms with clients, they are more likely to practise unsafe sex with non-work partners (especially women) and inject drugs than female CSWs and non-CSW homosexual men. Some men with HIV are working within the commercial sex industry. Targeted health education to encourage safer drug use and safer sex outside work is needed.