Central American HIV/AIDS Rate Rooted in Social Problem

Spotty use of condoms by sex workers in Central America is a factor contributing to the high risk of HIV infection, according to a recent study sponsored by the Pan American Social Marketing Organization. Of the 1,600 prostitutes surveyed over a 12 month period -- 400 in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Costa Rica each -- 41 percent said they had engaged in sex without a condom, and only 1 percent knew the correct way to use one. "The results show that the prospects for preventing HIV/AIDS and other [STDs] are not encouraging," said researchers Jacobo Schifter and Rodrigo Vargas, of the National University of Costa Rica.

During the period prior to the interviews, 38 percent of the prostitutes "had been penetrated vaginally without a condom," said the report. Oral sex and anal intercourse without a condom were also reported as common.

Researchers said there are no precise figures on the rate of HIV infection among Central American prostitutes, but of the region's general population of 34 million, 14,664 (4.3 percent) tested positive for HIV by late 2000. The rate of infection among men in the general population is three times as great as that of women. Prostitutes are the most affected, according to the report.

Although most prostitutes have access to information on AIDS and the importance of condoms, several factors prevent their use, including the inferior position of women in these societies and their limited ability to negotiate condom use with male clients. Another factor is the frequent use of drugs and alcohol, which lower sex workers' inhibitions and interfere with judgment, the report said. The greatest shortcoming in education campaigns, the report found, is the lack of outreach to teach sex workers the proper way to use a condom.

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