title: Vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections in women who sell sex on the route of prostitution and sex tourism in central Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to investigate knowledge on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), STD-related risk behaviors, and signs/symptoms of STDs among female sex workers (FSWs).
  
  
  METHODS
  a cross-sectional study was conducted with a probabilistic sample comprising 395 women recruited using a respondent-driven sampling method between 2009 and 2010. The data were collected during face-to-face interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  most of the participants were young adults, had a low educational level, and had poor knowledge on the transmission paths of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Over one-third of the participants were not able to describe the signs/symptoms of STDs. The prevalence rates of vaginal discharge and wounds/ulcers were 49.0% and 8.6%, respectively, but 41.7% of the women had not sought treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the results indicate the need for public health policies focusing on the control and prevention of STDs in this population, especially for the FSWs who are active in an important prostitution and sex tourism route in central Brazil.
authors: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil. marcosdeminas@yahoo.com.br
authors: Marcos André de
authors: MA
authors: de Matos
authors: Karlla Antonieta Amorim
authors: KA
authors: Caetano
authors: Divânia Dias da Silva
authors: DD
authors: França
authors: Raquel Silva
authors: RS
authors: Pinheiro
authors: Luciene Carneiro
authors: LC
authors: de Moraes
authors: Sheila Araujo
authors: SA
authors: Teles
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012309:Risk-Taking; D011477:Sex Work; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000635:transmission; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035862:Vulnerable Populations