title: HIV antibody seroprevalence and associated risk factors in sex workers, drug users, and prisoners in Sindh, Pakistan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine prevalence of HIV infection and risk behaviors in commercial sex workers (CSWs), drug users, and prisoners in Sindh, Pakistan.
  
  
  METHODS
  A medical clinic was established in a "red-light" district of Karachi. Eighty-one CSWs who registered at the clinic between November 1993 and June 1994 were provided HIV counseling and testing and administered a risk factor questionnaire. Next, 316 male drug users were tested for HIV-1 antibody from April to July 1994. Finally, a voluntary serosurvey of HIV-1 and HIV-2 and risk behaviors of 3525 prisoners in Sindh was conducted between July 1994 and December 1994. Abbott Recombinant HIV third-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and confirmatory testing with Western blot analysis were used in all three groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of 81 CSWs tested for HIV-1 antibody were positive. None of 316 drug users tested positive for HIV-1 antibody. Of 3441 male prisoners, 1 was HIV-1 infected, and of 84 female prisoners, 1 was HIV-1 infected. No prisoner was positive for HIV-2 antibody.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of HIV in CSWs, drug users, and prisoners in Sindh is low at present. Intervention programs implemented at this stage can make an impact in HIV prevention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. shehla@westwind.khi.sdnpk.undp.org
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baqi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nabi
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Hasan
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pasha
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kayani
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Haque
authors.lastname: Haq-IU
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khurshid
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fisher-Hoch
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Luby
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: McCormick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011477:Sex Work / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies