Sexually transmitted diseases in domestic expatriate workers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to determine the sexually transmitted disease in domestic expatriate workers [DEW[s]] screened for pre-employment in the general clinics of a teaching hospital. The study included 1648 domestic expatriate workers who were reviewed by a general practitioner, and who underwent serological tests for treponemal infections and human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]. Screening for hepatitis B surface antigen [HB[s]Ag] was also done routinely as part of the requirement of the pre-employment screening. The relative frequencies for syphilis and HIV were 23.8% and 19% respectively. HIV was detected more frequently in DEW[s] from Africa, and syphilis in DEW[s] from Indonesia and the Philippines, whereas HG[s]Ag was more frequently detected in DEW[s] from the African subcontinent, and significant among males [2.8%], compared to females [1.0%], where P< 0.05. These findings indicate that pre-employment screening is a viable means of identifying major STD[s] [venereal syphilis, HIV] and communicable disease such as hepatitis B in the DEW[s]. It is recommended that stringent measures be adopted to prevent fraudulen reporting from laboratories and health care providers locally, and from the home country of the DEW