SEXUALLY-TRANSMITTED DISEASES IN DOMESTIC EXPATRIATE WORKERS IN JEDDAH, SAUDI-ARABIA

This study was conducted to determine the sexually transmitted disease s in domestic expatriate workers (DEWs) screened for pre-employment in the general clinics of a teaching hospital. The study included 1648 d omestic expatriate workers who were reviewed by a general practitioner , and who underwent serological tests for treponemal infections and hu man immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Screening for hepatitis B surface an tigen (HBsAg) was also done routinely as part of the requirement of th e pre-employment screening. The relative frequencies for syphilis and HIV were 23.8% and 19% respectively. HIV was detected more frequently in DEWs from Africa, and syphilis in DEWs from Indonesia and the Phili ppines, whereas HGsAg was more frequently detected in DEWs from the Af rican subcontinent, and was significant among males (2.8%), compared t o females (1.0%), where P<0.05. These findings indicate that pre-emplo yment screening is a viable means of identifying major STDs (venereal syphilis, HIV) and communicable diseases such as hepatitis B in the DE Ws. It is recommended that stringent measures be adopted to prevent fr audulent reporting from laboratories and health care providers locally , and from the home country of the DEW.