Hepatitis B among female sex workers in Ribeirão Preto - São Paulo, Brazil

Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia

Afonso Dinis Costa Passos²  José Fernando De Castro Figueiredo¹  Ana De Lourdes Candolo Martinelli¹  Márcia Guimarães Villanova¹  Margarida Pásseri Do Nascimento¹  Ana Maria Coimbra Gaspar¹  Clara Fumiko Tachibana Yoshida¹ 

[1] ,University of São Paulo Ribeirão Preto Medical School Ribeirão Preto,Brazil

关键词: Hepatitis B;    Prevalence;    Sex workers;    Prostitutes;    Hepatite B;    Prevalência;    Profissionais do Sexo;    Prostitutas;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S1415-790X2007000400010

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of hepatitis B markers and to study the risk factors for this disease among female sex workers in the city of Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. METHODS: A questionnaire was given to 449 female sex workers in order to obtain information about demographic, socioeconomic and behavioral variables. Blood samples were collected and analyzed by immunoenzymatic techniques for detection of HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc and anti-HCV markers. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 23 years, varying from 13 to 64 years. A high spatial mobility was observed, with 47.9% of participants residing in places out of the region of Ribeirão Preto or in other Brazilian states. Complete absence of previous vaccine against hepatitis B was referred by 98.2%. Overall, the presence of any hepatitis B marker was observed in 106 participants (prevalence of 23.6%; 95% CI: 19.7 27.5), with 84 positive for anti-HBs (18.7%), 100 for anti-HBc (22.3%), and only 3 for HBsAg (0.7%). The logistic regression analysis showed association between hepatitis B markers and the following co-variables: residence in Ribeirão Preto, age, low socioeconomic level, consumption of crack, intercourse with HIV-infected individuals, history of previous hepatitis, intercourse with a case of hepatitis, and positivity for hepatitis C. CONCLUSIONS: Ribeirão Preto's female sex workers present several risk factors for hepatitis B and almost absence of previous specific vaccination, making it necessary to emphasize this low-cost preventive measure, preferably through the use of a mobile team, taking the vaccine to their places of work.

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