BACKGROUND: Home prostitution is the hidden form of commercial sex network. We had done a phone survey of commercial sexual services provided in the private flats. METHODS AND RESULTS: We had used advertisements in the section "Intim services" of local adnewspaper "Avizo" as the primary source of relevant phone numbers. "Avizo" is sold in Northern Moravia--mainly in Ostrava, Karvina and Frydek-Mistek districts. We accomplished the phone interview with 48 subjects (individual persons or groups working in the particular flat) using the set of prepared questions. Three of these subjects were male, providing commercial sex for women. We estimated the number of such private flats, number of persons working there and number of professional contacts of this type in Karvina, Ostrava districts and whole Czech republic. CONCLUSIONS: We constructed an estimate of sexual sex workers for whole Czech republic--10,200 persons, therefrom 5100 persons in 1750 private flats, who accomplish to 1.36 mil sexual contact with customers annually. Regarding the risk behaviour nearly all of interviewed subjects indicated the use of condoms; 80% of subjects reported to be HIV-tested.

Centrum epidemiologie Okresní hygienické stanice Karviná