Comparison of four survey methods designed to estimate the prevalence of HIV among female prostitutes who inject drugs.
In Glasgow, during the period January 1990 to December 1992, 4 different methods were used to determine HIV prevalence among female prostitutes who inject drugs: the surveillance of prostitutes undergoing voluntary named tests, an unlinked anonymous survey of prostitutes attending a health care drop-in centre, a community-wide voluntary anonymous survey of injecting drug users including female prostitutes, and a voluntary anonymous survey of female prostitutes recruited in Glasgow's red-light area. HIV prevalence varied from 1.2 to 4.7% though overlapping confidence intervals indicated no significant differences. A comparison of each approach leads the authors to suggest that the former 2 methods which are relatively inexpensive should be conducted, if possible, on high risk groups such as prostitutes and injecting drug users on a continuous basis. If these indicate HIV rates which are stable and less than 5%, implementation of more sophisticated voluntary anonymous approaches need only be done every 3 to 4 years. However, if rates are unstable and/or greater than 5% then such surveys should be initiated more frequently, perhaps biannually.
Goldberg
D
D
Communicable Diseases (Scotland) Unit, Ruchill Hospital, Glasgow, UK.
Green
S T
ST
Taylor
A
A
Frischer
M
M
McKeganey
N
N
D000328:Adult; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011477:Sex Work; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*