[Infectious diseases and sexual transmitted diseases in two different cohort of extra communitarian people in Palermo (Sicily, Italy) from 2000 to 2004].

UNLABELLED

The Authors have studied the prevalence of Infectious and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) in a cohort of 109 Nigerian prostitutes and 37 extra communitarian drug addicts, with the aim to quantify the circulation of infectious and diffusive diseases in these groups of people.

RESULTS

HIV infection was diagnosed in 2 prostitutes (1.8%) and in 4 drug addicts (10.8%). In the female population it has not been evidence of STD, neither tuberculosis neither active infection from hepatitis virus B and C. In the drug addicts, in a single case it has been evidence active infection from HBV. The search of antibodies anti-HCV has turned out positive in 20 of 37 subject heads (54%). Neither case of tuberculosis nor of syphilis infection was diagnosed in the all population. The analysis of the collected data supplies elements for some considerations: HIV infection in young Nigerian prostitutes with short history is bounded (1.8%) and it correlates with the absence of sexually transmitted diseases (thanks to the use of condom). More in a generalized manner, they are young healthy women probably "selected" at the origin by people interested to protect them from diseases that would compromise their rendering. As far as the population of the drug addicts, the prevalence of HIV infection is meaningfully higher regarding that one of the Italian drug addicts observed in our Division and that their style of life hinders the access to the necessary therapeutic approaches.