Programa de intervención educativa para la prevención de infecciones de transmisión sexual en la Plataforma Latinoamericana de Personas que Ejercen Trabajo Sexual, octubre 2021-enero 2022.

Abstract

Mortality due to the incidence and prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in a worldwide level reflect alarming figures, in Ecuador there is a high number of people diagnosed with STIs, which in many cases are preventable. STIs have affected, mainly, to the key population that in many cases is neglected. These groups include transgender people, men who have sex with other men, sex workers, people who have sex for money or goods, and people who use injection-type drugs. In sex workers, it is estimated that the prevalence of HIV infection is 6% in Latin America and 8% in the Caribbean. The median prevalence of syphilis is 2.3% (0.5% 53%) in the Region as a whole. PLAPERTS, with offices in Machala city, El Oro Province, with the support of the Health District 07D02 in a consultancy for the Global Fund for Health, carries out a study where the main challenge is to make a comprehensive screening of people who do sex work. The main results showed that more than 70% of the population has some type of STI and between 40% and 50% have more than two types of STI, of these focused cases not even 10% had previous symptoms. There are previous studies on the prevalence of STIs in people who perform sex work, however, these studies are carried out mainly in tolerance centers where there is more or less continuous control and prophylaxis in sex workers. Obviously, this does not reflect the real situation of people who carry out sex work on the streets and independently, whose situation worsened with the health emergency caused by COVID-19. The implementation and use of studies on risk factors for the incidence and prevalence of STIs in this human group is urgently needed, which implies the need to create intervention programs to prevent STIs in sex work. As a result, the right decisions can be made when exercising the right to work and their sexual and reproductive rights.