ABSTRACT
Bleeding due to the habit of removing the cuticles of the finger and toes nails, without appropriate sterilization of instruments can be an important factor of contamination by hepatitis B and C viruses. The objectives of this study were to verify the use of standards on biosafety in the routine work of manicurists and/or pedicurists located in São Paulo, Brazil; know the level of information they have about ways of transmission and prevention of hepatitis B and C; evaluate the degree of risk perception for accidental exposure to infectious agents; and to estimate the prevalence of serological markers of hepatitis B and C among them. This was descriptive, cross-sectional study that included a random sample of 100 manicurists and/or pedicurists working in beauty salons. We administered a questionnaire to obtain personal information about the characteristics of the participants, collected blood for hepatitis B and C serology and assessed the working environment. Adherence to the professional standards on biosafety has been inadequate, and we noted that only 5 percent used disposable gloves, none washed their hands, 93 percent did not previously cleaned their working material and only 7 percent used disposable materials. A low level of knowledge about the routes of transmission, prevention, standards of biosafety, and risk perception of the infectious agents in their professional activity was observed. One out of ten interviewed manicurist and/or pedicurist had serological markers of hepatitis B or C, with 8 percent of hepatitis B and 2 percent of hepatitis C.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Humans , Beauty Culture/standards , Disinfection/statistics & numerical data , Hepatitis B/prevention & control , Hepatitis C/prevention & control , Occupational Diseases/prevention & control , Beauty Culture/instrumentation , Beauty Culture/statistics & numerical data , Brazil/epidemiology , Disinfection/methods , Epidemiologic Methods , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Hepatitis B/diagnosis , Hepatitis B/epidemiology , Hepatitis B/transmission , Hepatitis C/diagnosis , Hepatitis C/epidemiology , Hepatitis C/transmission , Occupational Diseases/diagnosis , Occupational Diseases/epidemiologyABSTRACT
The present study was carried out in south zone of Nagpur city to assess knowledge and practices regarding HIV transmission of 375 barbers selected randomly from three different categories of saloons. A significantly large proportion of the roadside barbers were ignorant about modes of transmission of HIV, particularly through the blades. The practices observed by barbers ae found to be favourable for transmission of HIV, more so in roadside barbers. Hence it can be concluded that practices observed by barbers may favour transmission of HIV and there is a scope for educational intervention.