Family Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 161 Main Street, Ap Lei Chau Clinic, Hong Kong, China.
J Travel Med. 2011 Jan-Feb;18(1):1-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1708-8305.2010.00453.x. Epub 2010 Nov 5.
Female sex workers (FSW) have been considered reservoirs and vectors of sexually transmitted infections (STI) in the community. This study estimated the prevalence of STI/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among FSW of various migration and residential status in Hong Kong and identified possible risk factors.
An outreach "Well-women" clinic was set up at Ziteng, a non-governmental organization working with FSW. Details of their lifestyle and health risk behavior were gathered before screening tests were performed, and the data were analyzed according to their place of origin.
A total of 503 FSW were screened for STI/HIV between 2005 and 2007. Syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV accounted for 1.8, 1.8, 4.6, and 0.2%, respectively. After adjusting for confounders, having ≥ 2 sexual partners (odds ratio [OR] 8.33, 95%CI: 2.17-33.46), residence status (OR 0.38, 95%CI: 0.17-0.89), and daily frequency of douching (OR 3.02, 95%CI: 1.23-7.35) were identified as significant predictors.
This study provides important insights on the screening and associated risk factors of STI among FSW working in Hong Kong. The contextual factors identified reflect the social and geographical context in which these women are operating and how they protect their health using their own means. These findings encourage policymakers and health professionals to redirect their focus and resources to a more holistic approach to sexual health when planning and implementing effective STI/HIV prevention programs.
性工作者（FSW）被认为是社区中性传播感染（STI）的储存宿主和传播媒介。本研究旨在估计香港不同移民和居住状态的 FSW 中 STI/人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）的流行率，并确定可能的危险因素。
在与 FSW 合作的非政府组织 Ziteng 设立了一个外展“妇女健康”诊所。在进行筛查检测之前，收集了她们生活方式和健康风险行为的详细信息，并根据其原籍国进行了数据分析。
2005 年至 2007 年期间，共筛查了 503 名 FSW 的 STI/HIV。梅毒、淋病、衣原体和 HIV 的检出率分别为 1.8%、1.8%、4.6%和 0.2%。调整混杂因素后，性伴侣≥2 个（比值比[OR]8.33，95%可信区间：2.17-33.46）、居住状态（OR 0.38，95%可信区间：0.17-0.89）和每日冲洗频率（OR 3.02，95%可信区间：1.23-7.35）被确定为显著预测因素。
本研究为香港性工作者的 STI 筛查和相关危险因素提供了重要的见解。确定的背景因素反映了这些女性所处的社会和地理环境，以及她们如何利用自己的方式保护自己的健康。这些发现鼓励政策制定者和卫生专业人员在规划和实施有效的 STI/HIV 预防计划时，将重点和资源转向更全面的性健康方法。
