Sexually transmitted diseases in Japanese female commercial sex workers working in massage parlors with cell baths

• Published in: Journal of infection and chemotherapy : official journal of the Japan Society of Chemotherapy Vol. 9; no. 3; pp. 248 - 253
• Main Authors: Miyazaki, Motonobu, Une, Hiroshi, Babazono, Akira, Kato, Masumi, Takagi, Shigeru, Chimura, Hiroshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2003; Springer
• Subjects: Adult; Baths; Biological and medical sciences; Cross-Sectional Studies; Epidemiology. Vaccinations; Fees and Charges; Female; General aspects; Human immunodeficiency virus infection; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Japan - epidemiology; Japanese female commercial sex worker; Medical sciences; Prevalence; Sex fee; Sex Work; Sexual Behavior; Sexually transmitted disease; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - blood; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - epidemiology; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - etiology; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - microbiology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Asia; Japan; Japanese female commercial sex worker; Sexually transmitted disease; Human immunodeficiency virus infection; Sex fee; Prevalence; Questionnaire; HIV-1 virus; Orthohepadnavirus; Hepatic disease; Chlamydia trachomatis; Birth date; Birth; Epidemiology; Genital diseases; Viral hepatitis B; Prostitution; Hepadnaviridae; Spirochaetosis; Cross sectional study; Chlamydiales; Bacteria; Female; Hepatitis B virus; Viral hepatitis C; Human; Immunopathology; Chlamydiaceae; Characteristic; Retroviridae; AIDS; Immune deficiency; Lentivirus; Japanese; Treponematosis; HIV-2 virus; Infection; Virus; Viral disease; Bacteriosis; Digestive diseases; Human immunodeficiency virus; Flaviviridae; Hepatitis C virus; Hepacivirus
• ISSN: 1341-321X; 1437-7780
• DOI: 10.1007/s10156-003-0257-3

A cross-sectional study of Japanese female commercial sex workers (FCSWs) working in massage parlors with cell baths (MPCBs) was conducted between July 1999 and December 2001. The study subjects were 171 FCSWs aged from 19 to 36 years. A questionnaire included sexual characteristics in addition to working name and date of birth. We serologically or bacteriologically confirmed the prevalence of HIV-1, HIV-2, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, syphilis, and trichomoniasis. There were no differences in the clinical characteristics of FCSWs working in standard-class MPCBs (group A) and those working in expensive-class MPCBs (group B). With respect to sexual characteristics, HIV-1 and HIV-2 were not confirmed in any subjects, but N. gonorrhoeae was detected in 1.2%. Use of condoms was 98.4% in group A and 83.3% in group B (P<0.01). No HIV infection and an extremely low prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) were recognized in Japanese FCSWs working in standard- and expensive-class MPCBs.