TY - JOUR
T1 - Tuberculosis and HIV
T2 - a global menace exacerbated via sex trafficking
AU - Dharmadhikari, Ashwin S.
AU - Gupta, Jhumka
AU - Decker, Michele R.
AU - Raj, Anita
AU - Silverman, Jay G.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by grants to Dr Silverman from the Office of Trafficking in Persons, US Department of State; to Dr Silverman and Dr Raj from the Harvard University Center for AIDS Research; to Dr Raj from the Center for International Health at the Boston University School of Public Health; and to Dr Silverman and Dr Gupta from the Harvard University South Asia Initiative. The study sponsors had no role in the study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data, or writing of the manuscript.
PY - 2009/9
Y1 - 2009/9
N2 - Objective: Global tuberculosis (TB) elimination requires recognition and management of TB/HIV co-infected individuals, including those in marginalized and/or understudied populations. We sought to examine the prevalence of TB among repatriated sex trafficked Nepalese girls and women in whom a high HIV prevalence was previously reported. Methods: We reviewed case records for cases of TB among 287 sex trafficked girls and women repatriated to a single, rehabilitation non-governmental organization in Kathmandu, Nepal between 1997 and 2005. TB case detection was based on sputum smear results for acid-fast bacilli, radiographs, or histories, as reported in medical tests and/or case records. Results: There were 17 cases of TB that developed after rescue within the sample of girls and women who were aged 7-32 years when they were trafficked. The majority of cases (70%) were likely pulmonary TB. Nearly 9 in 10 individuals who developed TB were HIV co-infected. Conclusions: Although preliminary in nature, our findings highlight the need for more comprehensive exploration of TB prevalence within sex trafficked populations, particularly in light of the large numbers of individuals who are sex trafficked in South Asia, the high prevalence of HIV documented in this group, and the risk of transmission of TB from and to others.
AB - Objective: Global tuberculosis (TB) elimination requires recognition and management of TB/HIV co-infected individuals, including those in marginalized and/or understudied populations. We sought to examine the prevalence of TB among repatriated sex trafficked Nepalese girls and women in whom a high HIV prevalence was previously reported. Methods: We reviewed case records for cases of TB among 287 sex trafficked girls and women repatriated to a single, rehabilitation non-governmental organization in Kathmandu, Nepal between 1997 and 2005. TB case detection was based on sputum smear results for acid-fast bacilli, radiographs, or histories, as reported in medical tests and/or case records. Results: There were 17 cases of TB that developed after rescue within the sample of girls and women who were aged 7-32 years when they were trafficked. The majority of cases (70%) were likely pulmonary TB. Nearly 9 in 10 individuals who developed TB were HIV co-infected. Conclusions: Although preliminary in nature, our findings highlight the need for more comprehensive exploration of TB prevalence within sex trafficked populations, particularly in light of the large numbers of individuals who are sex trafficked in South Asia, the high prevalence of HIV documented in this group, and the risk of transmission of TB from and to others.
KW - HIV
KW - Human rights
KW - Sex trafficking
KW - TB transmission
KW - Tuberculosis
KW - Women's health
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ijid.2008.11.010
DO - 10.1016/j.ijid.2008.11.010
M3 - Short survey
C2 - 19153056
AN - SCOPUS:68949181418
SN - 1201-9712
VL - 13
SP - 543
EP - 546
JO - International Journal of Infectious Diseases
JF - International Journal of Infectious Diseases
IS - 5
ER -