Sex workers are traditionally considered important vectors of transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STI). The role of clients is commonly overlooked, partially due to the lack of evidence on clients' position in the sexual network created by commercial sex. Contrasting the diffusion importance of sex workers and their clients in the map of their sexual encounters in twoWeb-mediated communities, we find that from diffusion perspective, clients are as important as sex workers. Their diffusion importance is closely linked to the geography of the sexual encounters: as a result of different movement patterns, travelling clients shorten network distances between distant network neighborhoods and thus facilitate contagion among them more than sex workers, and find themselves more often in the core of the network by which they could contribute to the persistence of STIs in the community. These findings position clients into the set of the key actors and highlight the role of human mobility in the transmission of STIs in commercial sexual networks.

• MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• prostituce MeSH
• rizikové faktory MeSH
• sexuálně přenosné nemoci přenos   MeSH
• sexuální chování MeSH
• sexuální pracovníci MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH

This article highlights health issues related to prostitution, with special reference to the situation in Europe. Strategies aimed at improving the health care of commercial sex workers, including programs for screening for sexually transmitted infections, are discussed. Problems related to failure to follow-up, particularly of mobile (migratory, international) commercial sex workers, are considered. Other topics covered include counselling on sexual risk reduction, including medical hotline telephone services and clinical outreach work. Counselling commercial sex workers on contraception, desired termination of pregnancy and hazards of illicit drug use are also highlighted. The public-health consequences of delivering poor health care to commercial sex workers are generally severely underestimated, particularly in societies where prostitution is illegal.

• MeSH
• analýza nákladů a výnosů MeSH
• antikoncepce MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• hodnocení programu MeSH
• hodnocení výsledků zdravotní péče MeSH
• horké linky MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• plošný screening organizace a řízení   MeSH
• poradenství MeSH
• přidělování zdravotní péče ekonomika   organizace a řízení   MeSH
• prostituce * MeSH
• rozvoj plánování MeSH
• sexuálně přenosné nemoci prevence a kontrola   psychologie   terapie   MeSH
• sociální opora MeSH
• společenskoinstitucionální vztahy MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• zdravotní výchova organizace a řízení   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH

INTRODUCTION: Aim of the study was to determine risk behaviour and HIV prevalence among commercial sex workers (CSWs) and intravenous drug users (IDUs) in streets of Bratislava and B. Bystrica, SR. METHODS: HIV antibodies were tested from saliva using ELISA test. Anonymous questionnaire was completed. RESULTS: 121 persons (61 men and 60 women) were involved in the sociological study. Mean age of the participants was 21.9 years. 185.1% of subjects were from Bratislava. 108 participants were tested for the presence of HIV-antibodies, one was confirmed HIV-positive (0.82%). In the past 47.9% of participants and 22.3% of their partners were tested for the presence of HIV-antibodies. 10.8% of subjects proclaimed that they suffered from other sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the past HIV testing of participants significantly correlated with the testing for other STI (p<0.002) as well as with HBV/HCV (p<0.001). 58 participants were using tattooing (47.9%). 46.3% of all participants never used condoms with partners. 31.4% of respondents proclaimed disruption of condom during sexual intercourse. Significant correlation was found between testing of participants for other STI and usage of condoms with their partners (p<0.013). Women used condoms more often by sexual contacts with partners than men used condoms (p<0.094). They were also significantly more tested for other STI in the past (p<0.021) and they suffered from other STI more often than men (p<0.033). 26.5% of person--only women--were involved in commercial sex work. 93.5% of them were taking drugs as well, 21.8% suffered for other STI in the past They were working in sex business on average for 26 months. The average number of their clients per week was 12.3. CSWs used condoms more often with clients than with partners. 98.2% of all participants were taking drugs, 93% of them intravenously. 24.6% of IDUs always used new or their own needles and syringes, while 69.4% shared equipments with the other users. IDUs drug users used condoms significantly less often with their partners than did CSWs (p<0.006). CSWs were significantly more often tested for other STI (p<0.001) and they also more often suffered for other STI than IDUs (p<0.045). CONCLUSION: More effort should be done to decrease risk behaviour revealed in the groups of CSWs and drug users.

• MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• HIV infekce epidemiologie   prevence a kontrola   MeSH
• HIV séroprevalence MeSH
• intravenózní abúzus drog * MeSH
• kondomy statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• prostituce * MeSH
• riskování * MeSH
• sexuální chování MeSH
• společné užívání jehel MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Slovenská republika epidemiologie   MeSH

Since the first HIV case was diagnosed in the Czech Republic in 1985, there is a lack of information regarding the epidemiology of HIV infection in most high-risk groups. To determine the prevalence of, and risk factors for, HIV among female and male commercial sex workers (FCSW and MCSW, respectively) and injecting drug users (IDUs), cross-sectional studies were conducted in the cities of Cheb, Usti nad Labem, Ostrava, and Prague of the Czech Republic. A total of 1,277 subjects were enrolled, which included 585 FCSWs, 230 MCSWs, and 462 IDUs. The HIV prevalences were 0.7% (95% CI: 0.2-1.7%), 0.9% (95% CI: 0.1-3.1%), and 0.2% (95% CI: 0.005-1.2%) among FCSWs, MCSWs, and IDUs, respectively. Although low HIV prevalences were found, ongoing sentinel surveillance studies, which address modifiable behavioral and biologic risk factors among high-risk groups, are necessary to guide strategies to stem the tide of the epidemic in this country.

• MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• HIV infekce diagnóza   epidemiologie   MeSH
• HIV séropozitivita epidemiologie   MeSH
• intravenózní abúzus drog * virologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• prostituce * MeSH
• průřezové studie MeSH
• riskování MeSH
• sexuální chování MeSH
• sexuální partneři MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika epidemiologie   MeSH

Prague, the Czech Republic, is a popular sex tourism destination where sex work is decriminalized and young men offer sexual services at low prices relative to countries in Western Europe. This quantitative survey aimed to identify some of the demographic characteristics of these young men and their experiences in the sex industry. Internet escorts (N = 20) and sex workers in bars and clubs (N = 20) completed the survey anonymously in spring 2011. The results showed that sex workers in clubs often had troubled pasts and were forced into sex work to survive. They also reported incidents of violence, serious alcohol and drug use, as well as frequent gambling. The larger group of sex workers in Prague is made up of Internet escorts who have backgrounds that are not atypical for the average Czech youth. They had fewer problems with drugs and alcohol but were twice as likely as sex workers in bars and clubs to be victims of violent crime. Plans for interventions to help those who would change their line of work, as well as the importance of sociocultural context in understanding sex workers, are discussed.

• MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• internet * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• oběti zločinu psychologie   MeSH
• prostituce psychologie   MeSH
• sexualita psychologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH

OBJECTIVE: The work assessed the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in a representative sample of both male and female sex workers with the aim of assessing sexual transmission of HCV infection. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the first four months of 2006, a total of 209 (195 females, average age 26, average time of providing sexual services 25 months) sex workers from 29 Moravian clubs were tested for the presence of anti-HCV antibodies by the immunochromatographic assay using a drop of capillary blood. RESULTS: Anti-HCV antibodies were detected in 2 female prostitutes (less than 1 %) of whom one reported intravenous drug use in the past suggestive of blood-borne infection rather than sexual transmission. Nearly half of the subjects (44.5 %) admitted intravenous use of drugs, especially crystal speed ("pervitin"). STDs were reported only by less than 3 % of the subjects. CONCLUSIONS: In the Czech Republic, sexual transmission of HCV infection is of minor importance. Drug abuse is very common among sex workers.

• MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• hepatitida C - protilátky krev   MeSH
• hepatitida C epidemiologie   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• prostituce * MeSH
• séroepidemiologické studie MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika epidemiologie   MeSH
• Názvy látek
• hepatitida C - protilátky MeSH

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.

• MeSH
• charakteristiky bydlení MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• prostituce statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• sběr dat MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study is to analyse drug-related infectious diseases (DRID) rates for people who inject drugs (PWID) in the Pilsen Region in order to identify the main determiners of infection risk and also to provide a foundation for comparison between this region and the others in the Czech Republic. METHODS: In a descriptive cross-sectional study, we analysed the Pilsen Region's data on PWID. The data was transcribed from the 2003 to 2018 internal database of the Ulice Outreach Programme. In addition to the data regarding the testing of DRID, we analysed commercial sex work (CSW) and the PWID's duration of drug use, age and current address. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, primarily employing logistic regression (i.e., backward elimination method) to explore predictors of seropositivity. Moreover, we calculated its prevalence from an epidemiological perspective. RESULTS: In total, 384 PWID were tested, from which 54.7% were males, and 84.1% were from Pilsen. The average age for initiation of using drug was 19.37 years. The most used drug was methamphetamine (64.8%), 77 women (20.1%) were reported to be CSW. The prevalence of DRID was as follows: hepatitis C virus (HCV) 37.24%, syphilis 1.82%, hepatitis B virus (HBV) 0.78%, and HIV infection 0.26%. The analysis showed that men had a lower risk of syphilis than women. Individuals who started their drug use via injection had a 1.365-times higher risk of DRID in comparison to those who initiated intravenous drug use later in their drug-using lives. We identified a significant association between the drug type and the risk of HCV infection: the main predictor of seropositivity was the use of fentanyl, which posed a 1.930-times higher risk than in the case of methamphetamine. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first descriptive cross-sectional study implemented in the Pilsen Region in the Czech Republic with a focus on the subpopulation of PWID with individual data. A high prevalence of HCV infection still persists but the prevalence of HBV and HIV infections in this study (and generally in the Czech Republic) is relatively low compared to foreign studies. Syphilis is not closely associated with injecting-drug use, but rather with the sexual behaviour of the people who use drugs intravenously. The most important predictor of seropositivity for syphilis was CSW. We also found the duration of being a CSW to be significant influence. The women who had been CSWs for less than 5 years had a significantly lower risk of syphilis than those who had prostituted for more than 5 years.

• Klíčová slova
• Czech Republic, Pilsen Region, commercial sex workers, drug-related infectious diseases, people who inject drugs,
• MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• Hepacivirus MeSH
• hepatitida C * epidemiologie   MeSH
• HIV infekce * epidemiologie   MeSH
• intravenózní abúzus drog * epidemiologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• methamfetamin * MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• prevalence MeSH
• prostituce MeSH
• průřezové studie MeSH
• riskování MeSH
• syfilis * epidemiologie   MeSH
• uživatelé drog * MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• methamfetamin * MeSH

The WHO considers hearing loss to be a major global problem. A literature search was conducted to see whether high-frequency audiometry (HFA) could be used for the early detection of hearing loss. A further aim was to see whether any differences exist in the hearing threshold using conventional audiometry (CA) and HFA in workers of different age groups exposed to workplace noise. Our search of electronic databases yielded a total of 5938 scientific papers. The inclusion criteria were the keywords "high frequency" and "audiometry" appearing anywhere in the article and the participation of unexposed people or a group exposed to workplace noise. Fifteen studies met these conditions; the sample size varied (51-645 people), and the age range of the people studied was 5-90 years. Commercial high-frequency audiometers and high-frequency headphones were used. In populations unexposed to workplace noise, significantly higher thresholds of 14-16 kHz were found. In populations with exposure to workplace noise, significantly higher statistical thresholds were found for the exposed group (EG) compared with the control group (CG) at frequencies of 9-18 kHz, especially at 16 kHz. The studies also showed higher hearing thresholds of 10-16 kHz in respondents aged under 31 years following the use of personal listening devices (PLDs) for longer than 5 years. The effect of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) first became apparent for HFA rather than CA. However, normative data have not yet been collected. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a uniform evaluation protocol accounting for age, sex, comorbidities and exposures, as well as for younger respondents using PLDs.

• Klíčová slova
• age-related hearing loss, audiometry, hearing loss, hearing test, hearing threshold, high-frequency audiometry (HFA), noise exposure, noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), occupational noise, recreational noise,
• MeSH
• audiometrie MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• hluchota * MeSH
• hluk na pracovišti * škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• hluk MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• nedoslýchavost z hluku * diagnóza   epidemiologie   MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• sluch MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH