Short report: HIV infection among commercial sex workers and injecting drug users in the Czech Republic.
Since the first HIV case was diagnosed in the Czech Republic in 1985, there is a lack of information regarding the epidemiology of HIV infection in most high-risk groups. To determine the prevalence of, and risk factors for, HIV among female and male commercial sex workers (FCSW and MCSW, respectively) and injecting drug users (IDUs), cross-sectional studies were conducted in the cities of Cheb, Usti nad Labem, Ostrava, and Prague of the Czech Republic. A total of 1,277 subjects were enrolled, which included 585 FCSWs, 230 MCSWs, and 462 IDUs. The HIV prevalences were 0.7% (95% CI: 0.2-1.7%), 0.9% (95% CI: 0.1-3.1%), and 0.2% (95% CI: 0.005-1.2%) among FCSWs, MCSWs, and IDUs, respectively. Although low HIV prevalences were found, ongoing sentinel surveillance studies, which address modifiable behavioral and biologic risk factors among high-risk groups, are necessary to guide strategies to stem the tide of the epidemic in this country.
Bruckova
Marie
M
National Reference Laboratory on AIDS, Prague, The Czech Republic. bruckova@szu.cz
Bautista
Christian T
CT
Graham
Ross R
RR
Maly
Marek
M
Vandasova
Jana
J
Presl
Jiri
J
Sumegh
Laszlo
L
Chapman
Gail D
GD
Carr
Jean K
JK
Sanchez
Jose L
JL
Earhart
Kenneth C
KC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018153:Czech Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012309:Risk-Taking; D011477:Sex Work; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000821:virology