KHUJAND, November 27, 2009, Asia-Plus — Two HIV-infection carriers have been detected among commercial sex workers (CSWs) in northern Tajikistan.
Ms. Dilorom Abbosova, a monitoring specialist with the Sughd Regional AIDS Center, told Asia-Plus today that during a raid conducted by the center specialists in Khujand and Isfara, 250 CSWs have been voluntarily tested for HIV (150 CSWs have been tested in Khujand and 100 CSWs have been tested in Isfara).
“Prostitutes have been selected from lists of dermatovenerologic dispensary and the Sughd police directorate as well as trough key informers (tax-drivers, barmen, nigh club employees) on the basis of random sample. Simultaneously ,they were also tested for syphilis and hepatitis “C,” said Abbosova, “Tests of two of them proved to be positive for HIV.”
Abbosova noted that today, 45 percent of cases of contracting HIV infection occur in the region through sexual contacts while earlier, drug injecting users had made the major part of HIV sufferers in the area. “Using the random sample method we have determined that HIV is currently at the concentrated stage in Sughd, it means that the disease is spread among certain groups of the population,” she said.
