BMA public health doctor's claims lack evidence

doi:10.1136/bmj.39191.716458.3A

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 statementby Spencer Jones that 70% of all sexually transmitted infections(STIs) in Birmingham are circulating in a pool of prostitutesand their clients.¹ Surveillance data routinely collected byclinics for genitourinary medicine (GUM) and analysed by theHealth Protection Agency do not include the proportion of STIsdiagnosed in sex workers or their clients. Furthermore, datafrom the "Safe Project," a dedicated sexual health promotionservice for Birmingham's sex workers, indicates that over thepast year, the prevalence of STIs among the 208 sex workersattending this targeted service was low (chlamydia (1.9%), HIV(0), gonorrhoea (2.9%), and syphilis (1%).)

More recently a local enhanced surveillance programme introducedfor syphilis indicated that, although commercial sex work orreported use of sex workers were identified among those foundto be infected with syphilis, just 5% of the total number ofsyphilis . . . [Full text of this article]

Jacky Chambers, director of public health¹, Penny Goold, consultant², Sharon Myring, consultant²

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

Jacky.chambers@hobtpct.nhs.uk