High-risk behaviors for hepatitis B and C infections among female sex workers

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical Vol. 51; no. 2; pp. 198 - 202
• Main Authors: Puga, Marco Antonio Moreira, Bandeira, Larissa Melo, Weis, Sabrina Moreira Dos Santos, Fernandes, Fernanda Rodas Pires, Castro, Lisie Souza, Tanaka, Tayana Serpa Ortiz, Rezende, Grazielli Rocha de, Teles, Sheila Araújo, Castro, Vivianne de Oliveira Landgraf de, Murat, Paula Guerra, Capelin, Gina Jonasson Mousquer, Motta-Castro, Ana Rita Coimbra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 01-03-2018; Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical - SBMT; Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT)
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Brazil - epidemiology; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Female sex workers; Health risk assessment; Hepacivirus - immunology; Hepatitis; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B - diagnosis; Hepatitis B - epidemiology; Hepatitis B - prevention & control; Hepatitis B virus - immunology; Hepatitis C; Hepatitis C - diagnosis; Hepatitis C - epidemiology; Hepatitis C - prevention & control; Humans; Immunization; Infections; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Prostitution; Risk taking; Sampling methods; Schedules; Sex; Sex industry; Sex Workers - statistics & numerical data; Socioeconomic Factors; TROPICAL MEDICINE; Vaccination; Viral Hepatitis Vaccines - administration & dosage; Viral Hepatitis Vaccines - immunology; Workers; Young Adult; Hepatitis C; Female sex workers; Hepatitis B
• ISSN: 0037-8682; 1678-9849; 1678-9849
• DOI: 10.1590/0037-8682-0231-2017

The prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C and risk behaviors among 402 female sex workers in Central Brazil were investigated by respondent-driven sampling.
Blood samples were tested for hepatitis B and C markers by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Two hepatitis B vaccination schedules were performed.
The prevalence of hepatitis B and C infections were 9.3% and 0.5%, respectively. Susceptibility to hepatitis B infection was observed in 61.5% of subjects. There was no significant difference in adherence index (p=0.52) between vaccination schedules and all participants had protective antibody titers.
This hard-to-reach population requires hepatitis B and C surveillance.