The prevalence of gonorrhoea and urogenital chlamydial infection was investigated in female prostitutes in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Epidemiological data were recorded according to a standardized questionnaire. The median age of the prostitutes was 27 years and the median period of prostitution was 2-4 years. Most of the women (91%) had no occupation other than prostitution and 57% of them had not even completed primary school. In 233 cases when both gonococcal culture and chlamydial antigen detection with a commercial EIA kit were performed the prevalence of gonorrhoea was 25% (59) and that of chlamydial infection 31% (72). Both diseases were recorded in 9%. The women who had been prostitutes for 2 years or longer had gonorrhoea (P less than 0.01) or chlamydial infection (P less than 0.05) less frequently than those who had practised prostitution for a shorter time period. Among 70 different gonococcal isolates from 241 prostitutes, 40 (57%) belonged to serogroup W II/III. Most (83%) of the 30 W I isolates were beta-lactamase producing (PPNG) like 42% of the W II/III isolates. All non-PPNG isolates, except one had decreased susceptibility to benzylpenicillin (MIC greater than or equal to 0.125 mg/l) and all isolates were susceptible to spectinomycin. Four out of five isolates from the throat were PPNG and the fifth had a benzylpenicillin MIC of 0.5-2.0 mg/l.
PIP: The prevalence of gonorrhea and urogenital chlamydia infection was investigated among female prostitutes in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Epidemiological data were recorded according to a standardized questionnaire. The median age of the prostitutes was 27 years old and median period of prostitution was 2-4 years. Most of the women (91%) has no other occupation besides prostitution and 57% of them had not even completed primary school. Among 233 cases when both gonococcal culture and chlamydial antigen detection with a commercial EIA kit were performed, the prevalence of gonorrhea was 25% (59) and that of chlamydial infection 31% (72). Both diseases were recorded in 9%. The women who had been prostitutes for 2 or more years had gonorrhea (p0.01) or chlamydial infection (p0.05) less frequently than those who had practiced prostitution for a shorter time period. Among 70 different gonococcal isolates from 241 prostitutes, 40 (57%) belonged to serogroup W II/III. Most (83%) of the W I isolates were beta-lactamase producing (PPNG) as were 42% of the W II/III isolates. All non-PPNG isolates except 1 had decreased susceptibility to benzylpenicillin (MIC or= o.125 mg/1) and all isolates were susceptible to spectinomycin. 4 of 5 isolates from the throat were PPNG and the 5th had a benzylpenicillin MIC of 0.5-2.0 mg/l.