BMJ  2007;334:863 (28 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.39191.716458.3A

Letters

Stigmatising sex workers

BMA public health doctor's claims lack evidence

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

There is no epidemiological evidence to support the recent statement by Spencer Jones that 70% of all sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Birmingham are circulating in a pool of prostitutes and their clients.¹ Surveillance data routinely collected by clinics for genitourinary medicine (GUM) and analysed by the Health Protection Agency do not include the proportion of STIs diagnosed in sex workers or their clients. Furthermore, data from the "Safe Project," a dedicated sexual health promotion service for Birmingham's sex workers, indicates that over the past year, the prevalence of STIs among the 208 sex workers attending this targeted service was low (chlamydia (1.9%), HIV (0), gonorrhoea (2.9%), and syphilis (1%).)

More recently a local enhanced surveillance programme introduced for syphilis indicated that, although commercial sex work or reported use of sex workers were identified among those found to be infected with syphilis, just 5% of the total number of syphilis . . . [Full text of this article]

¹ Heart of Birmingham Primary Care Trust, Bartholomew House, Birmingham B16 9PA, ² Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Whittall Street Clinic, Birmingham B4 6DH

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Article

BMA public health doctor is accused of stigmatising sex workers

Michael Day
BMJ 2007 334: 767. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]