Prevalence of gonorrhoea, syphilis and trichomoniasis in prostitutes in Burkina Faso.

Prevalence of syphilis, gonorrhoea and trichomoniasis among 127 prostitutes in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso, was investigated. 22% were positive of syphilis, 20% for intracellular gram negative diplococci, and 17% for Trichomonas vaginalis infection. Demographic data revealed that the prostitutes were a young group, with 69% between 15 and 25 years old. 14% of the women were from Burkina Faso; the majority (73%) were of Ghanaian origin. Our data highlight alarming rates of STDs in prostitutes working in Ouagadougou. Education campaigns which consider sociodemographic and cultural characteristics of the prostitutes should be established to reduce these rates. Upgrading of diagnostic capabilities and focal mass drug administration among prostitutes should also be considered. Data for this study were collected at Yalgado Ouedraogo Hospital, Ouagudougou, Burkina Faso, and analyzed at Columbia University School of Public Health and at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA.