Prevalence of HIV, HBV, HCV, HPV and Syphilis among Female Sex Workers in Kurdistan, west of Iran

Female sex workers (FSWs) in most societies run a high risk of health problems, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as viral infections and syphilis. The present study examines the prevalence of viral infections and syphilis among FSWs.

This cross-sectional study recruited 100 female sex workers (April 2019 to April 2020) who visited the Counseling Center for Behavioral Diseases or were selected via purposeful (snowball) sampling. A questionnaire (demographic information and STI risk factors) was completed in a face-to-face interview with the participants. Blood samples were then taken to test the markers for HBV, HCV Ab, HIV Ab, Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) for syphilis and a PCR was taken to test for HPV (in vaginal sex workers from the cervix and anal sex workers from the anal region). The data were analyzed in Stata 14.

Among 100 FSWs, 6 (6%) were infected with HIV, 1 (1%) with hepatitis B, and 2 (2%) were anti-HCV positive. 1 (1%) participant was suspected of having syphilis. Based on the PCR tests, 16 (16%) participants were infected with HPV. Moreover, 68 (68%) FSWs reported having unprotected sex.

Due to the prevalence of viral infections and syphilis and unprotected sex in FSWs, immediate preventive measures are critical for this vulnerable group to control the transmission of these viral infections in society.