Medical tests show more HIV in sex workers
Medical tests conducted on more than 100 prostitutes by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KEEL) in the past two days revealed 11 sex workers to be HIV positive, according to a doctor at KEEL.
Evangelos Liapis told Skai television on Tuesday morning that KEEL has intensified AIDS tests for prostitutes in central Athens, adding that the majority of sex workers do not have access to health care as they are working illegally. He said that a spike in AIDS cases in recent years can be attributed to the increase in illegal prostitution, as well as to a rise in the number of intravenous drug users.
Liapis also said that KEEL has received over 1,000 telephone calls since it appealed on Sunday to all men who have had unprotected sex with a prostitute and in particular with a 22-year-old Russian woman whose photograph was published by police after she was found to have AIDS, to be tested for the HIV virus.
KEEL’s AIDS helpline is 210.722.2222, while general information is available on 210.521.2054.
