Sexually Transmitted Infections in sex workers: characteristics and prevalence in the extreme north of Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Sequeira, Bianca Jorge
• Data de Publicação: 2020
• Outros Autores: Mangabeira, Cassandra Loureiro, Zambonin, Fernanda, Reis, Jamilla Karla Corrêa, Costa, Wagner do Carmo, Camargo, Calvino
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Saúde (Santa Maria)
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.ufsm.br/revistasaude/article/view/42679
• topic: Epidemiology; Sexually Transmitted Infections; Sex workers.; Epidemiologia; Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis; Profissionais do Sexo.

The objective was to investigate the sociodemographic characteristics, the prevalence of STIs and the knowledge of sex workers in the extreme north of Brazil. This is a cross-sectional, descriptive, analytical, quantitative study. The research took place in August 2019 at prostitution points in Boa Vista - Roraima through the application of instruments that collected sociodemographic data, knowledge about STIs and rapid tests for the detection of HIV / AIDS, Syphilis, Hepatitis B and C. To perform descriptive and analytical statistics, Microsoft Excel and Epi Info were used. The research was approved by the Research Ethics Committee involving Human Being sat the Federal University of Roraima (CEP ∕ UFRR) under opinion 2,962,053. The sample of thisstudy consisted of 72 sex workers and the prevalence of STI infection was 13.9%, with 12.5% diagnosed with Syphilis and 1.4% with HIV. As for the level of knowledge about STIs, most participants (55,6%) were classified as having a medium level of knowledge. No tested variable showed a statistically significant association with the positive diagnostic outcome for STI. It is concluded, therefore, that STIs in sex workers are a complex and multidimensional phenomenon, influenced by social, economic, cultural characteristics and that the main measures to modify this scenarios hould be aimed at prevention, access to health services, early detection and timely treatment.