Science / Medicine : Male Prostitutes and AIDS

More than one-quarter of male prostitutes studied in Atlanta were infected with the AIDS virus, and the virus was especially common among those also exposed to syphilis and hepatitis, according to a report last week. Until now, most studies of AIDS among prostitutes have focused on women.

In the latest work, researchers took blood samples from 152 male streetwalkers. Overall, 27% were infected with HIV, the AIDS virus, as were 55% of those who also had syphilis and 37% of those exposed to hepatitis B.

Forty-six percent of the prostitutes described themselves as heterosexual, while the rest said they were bisexual or homosexual. The survey was conducted by Dr. Kirk W. Elifson and colleagues from Georgia State University. It was published as a letter in the New England Journal of Medicine.