International Journal of STD & AIDS > Volume 19, Number 9 > Pp. 635-639

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Original research articles

Prevalence and predictors of herpes simplex virus type 2 infection among female sex workers in Yunnan Province, China

Haibo Wang MPH ^*, Ning Wang MD PhD ^* , Ray Y Chen MD MSPH , Gerald B Sharp DrPH , Yanling Ma BS , Guixiang Wang AS , Guowei Ding MD ^* and Zhenglai Wu MD MSc ^**

^* National Center for AIDS/STD Prevention and Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 27 Nanwei Road, Beijing 100050, Peoples Republic of China; Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of AIDS, Yunnan Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Kaiyuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kaiyuan, Yunnan; ^** Department of Epidemiology, Peking Union Medical College, Changping District, Beijing, Peoples Republic of China

Correspondence to: Dr Ning Wang Email: wangnbj{at}163.com

The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), and to evaluate the relationship between HSV-2 infection and sociodemographic factors and the sexual practices of female sex workers (FSWs) in Kaiyuan city, Yunnan Province, China. This cross-sectional study involved 737 FSWs and was carried out from March to May 2006 with confidential interviews and laboratory tests for HSV-2 and other sexually transmitted infections (STI). HSV-2 was the most common STI (68%), followed by Chlamydia trachomatis (26%), Trichomonas vaginalis (11%), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (8%) and syphilis (7%). Prevalence of HIV-1 was 10.3%. Adjusted odds ratios of HSV-2 seroprevalence were 2.6 (95% CI [confidence interval]: 1.30–5.38) for HIV-1 infection, 2.0 (95% CI: 1.33–3.16) for vaginal douching, 2.0 (95% CI: 0.45–0.86) for condom breaking or falling off during sexual intercourse with the client in the previous week, 1.8 (95% CI: 1.07–3.18) for 5 years of commercial sex work, 1.6 (95% CI: 1.08–2.33) for 5 clients in the previous week, 0.6 (95% CI: 0.45–0.86) for 9 years of education. This study identifies a very high prevalence of HSV-2 infections among FSWs in Yunnan Province, with only a few who reported a prior history of genital herpes. HSV-2 serological screening and suppressive therapy should be considered for study populations. Education on the importance of diagnosis, treatment and prevention may help control the spread of HSV-2 infection.

Key Words: herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) • female sex worker • condom • sexually transmitted infection • China

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