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Community outreach reduced syphilis rate
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The incidence of syphilis was significantly reduced among Chinese female sex workers who participated in a community-based outreach intervention.
“Designing effective STI/HIV interventions for [female sex workers] in China has been challenging because of [female sex workers’] migration, mistrust of clinics, and limited health outreach programs,” the researchers wrote. “The compelling need for high-quality sexual health services and promising pilot STI/HIV programs in South China have renewed interest in structural [female sex worker] programs.”
The intervention used in the study focused on promotion of health services through newspapers and television advertisements, regular syphilis screening, free gynecologic exams and reproductive services, enhanced referral services and free diagnosis and treatment of syphilis.
Researchers pooled data on 3,597 women from six cities in South China between 2009 and 2011. Women were assigned to an intervention (n=1,586) or control group (n=2,011), which provided testing services, condoms and health education materials. Women’s blood samples were taken to local STI and HIV laboratories for testing every 3 months.
Results indicated that the incidence of syphilis in the intervention group was reduced by 70% (95% CI, 53-81) vs. the control group. Women who solicited clients on the street or at public outdoor places — referred to as “low-tier” venues in the study — women with less than a high school education, migrants and women who did not use a condom during their last sexual encounter benefited the most from the intervention, according to the researchers.
“This research study demonstrates the efficacy and potential public health benefits in prevention and control of syphilis through providing expanded comprehensive structural interventions for [female sex workers] in South China,” the researchers wrote.
However, they said the feasibility and cost of a structured intervention such as the one used in South China must be studied further before it can be implemented on a national level.
Disclosure: The study was supported by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Sciences and Technology in China. The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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