K. Tchoudomirova et al., DEMOGRAPHIC-DATA ON PROSTITUTES FROM BULGARIA - A RECRUITMENT COUNTRYFOR INTERNATIONAL (MIGRATORY) PROSTITUTES, International journal of STD & AIDS, 8(3), 1997, pp. 187-191
The study was aimed at investigating the conditions and circumstances
for the recruitment of prostitutes, as well as their reproductive hist
ory, working conditions, knowledge of and attitudes to sexually transm
itted diseases (STDs), and use of prophylactic antibiotic therapy of t
hese diseases. Two hundred prostitutes were investigated by in-depth i
nterviews at STD clinics, private practices and hotels. Of the 200 pro
stitutes, 8 (4%) were less than 15 years old and 32 (16%) more than 25
years old. Most of the women came from rural villages. Half of them w
ere gypsies. Most had a boyfriend (often the pimp). One-quarter had be
en or were on their way abroad to prostitute. Half were migrating with
in Bulgaria to prostitute. They claimed a high rate of condom use with
customers, but seldom with their pimps or boyfriends. About one-tenth
used antibiotics prophylactically. They had knowledge of classical ST
Ds and HIV/AIDS but only in exceptional cases had they heard about chl
amydial and human papillomavirus infections. They often cohabited with
a female friend also often practising prostitution. It was concluded
that recruitment is often easy as the prostitute can earn more from on
ly one contact with a customer than their parents earn from work in a
month. Symptoms suggestive of STD were very common in the prostitutes,
i.e. in 43%. Bulgaria is a recruitment area for international prostit
utes.