3-YEAR INCIDENCE STUDY OF RETROVIRAL AND VIRAL-HEPATITIS TRANSMISSIONIN A PERUVIAN PROSTITUTE POPULATION

A Peruvian female prostitute population was evaluated over a 3-year pe riod to determine the incidence and risk factors of retroviral and vir al hepatitis transmission. At three survey periods, a questionnaire wa s administered and serum samples were obtained. A total of 966 subject s were studied, with 34% followed for 38 months, 22% followed for 18 m onths, and 44% evaluated just once. On initial evaluation, 3 (0.3%) ha d HIV-1 antibody, 170 (17.6%) had HTLV-I antibody, 578 (59.8%) had ant i-HBc, and 7 (0.7%) had antibody to hepatitis C virus. The mean annual incidence of HTLV-I and hepatitis B infection was 1.6% and 4.7%, resp ectively. Univariate and logistic regression analysis of prevalence da ta indicated an association between sexual activity and HTLV-I and hep atitis B infection, but no independent risk factors were identified in cohort analysis. Parenteral risk factors were not associated with tra nsmission, except for a small percentage of subjects who may have acqu ired hepatitis B infection from blood transfusions. These findings sug gest that there is a high incidence of HTLV-I and hepatitis B infectio n from heterosexual contact in this female prostitute population.