TRUCK DRIVERS IN BRAZIL - PREVALENCE OF HIV AND OTHER SEXUALLY-TRANSMITTED DISEASES, RISK BEHAVIOR AND POTENTIAL FOR SPREAD OF INFECTION

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of HIV and syphilis and relate d risk behavior in a sample of truck drivers in Santos, Brazil. Subjec ts and methods: A cross-sectional study was performed of 300 male truc k drivers recruited in the port of Santos, Brazil, including a face-to -face interview and blood sampling for HIV and syphilis serology. Resu lts: Of 300 subjects, 4 (1.3%) were positive for HIV, 25 (8.3%) for sy philis by the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test and 38 (13%) were positive for syphilis by the fluorescent treponemal antibod y (absorbed) test (FTA-Abs). Seventy-one per cent had been employed as truck drivers for more than 10 years and 93% lived outside of Santos. Most participants were married (72%); 40% reported having more than o ne sex partner; 21% reported sex with commercial sex workers; 14% repo rted sex with girls that they met on the road; 16% had sex with other men's wives; and 3.3% reported sex with men during the past year. The use of rebite, an oral stimulant, was reported by 43% and was associat ed with being FTA-Abs-positive(P = 0.04). Being HIV-positive was assoc iated with having sex with friends (P = 0.04), partners usually consid ered 'safe' by truck drivers. Being syphilis-positive (VDRL) was signi ficantly associated with sex with partners also considered as 'safe', namely primary sex partners, steady partners and other men's wives. Di scussion: This is the first study to determine HIV and syphilis seropr evalence among truck drivers in South America. Findings confirm that t his group has a high potential risk for HIV infection and other sexual ly transmitted diseases, and thus currently presents an opportunity fo r prevention.