STI and HIV Risk among South Indians. Kumarasamy et.al.

[Guest guest]

Prevalence and Incidence of Sexually Transmitted Infections among

South Indians at Increased Risk of HIV Infection

N. Kumarasamy, P. Balakrishnan, K.K. Venkatesh, A.K. Srikrishnan,

A.J. Cecelia, E. Thamburaj, S. , K.H. Mayer.

AIDS PATIENT CARE and STDs Volume 22, Number 8, 2008

Abstract

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been identified as

cofactors of HIV transmission. Greater understanding of local STI

burdens can assist in the development of more effective STI and HIV

prevention strategies.

The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and incidence of

STIs among South Indian men and women identified to be at increased

risk for HIV infection.

Individuals at increased risk for HIV infection were enrolled in a

prospective longitudinal study in Chennai, India (n = 480) between

August 2002 and December 2003. Participants were enrolled from

patients seeking services at an sexually transmitted disease (STD)

clinic and a confidential HIV testing and counseling program.

The most common prevalent STIs were herpes simplex virus (HSV)-2 (50%

of women, 29% of men), syphilis (11% of women, 8% of men), and

Trichomonas vaginalis (6% of women). At enrollment, women,

participants with no schooling, participants with greater than four

sex partners, and single participants were found to be at increased

risk for HSV-2 infection (p < 0.05). The two most common incident

STIs at 12 months were HSV-2 with 12% of men and 8% of women testing

positive and hepatitis B with 2% of men and 5% of women testing

hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive.

In this cohort of South Indian men and women with a high background

prevalence of HSV-2, suppressive therapy against herpes replication

may have a substantial impact in reducing both HSV-2 transmission and

HIV acquisition. With the high incidence of STIs, targeted prevention

and clinical management strategies among individuals practicing high

risk behaviors may help to slow the continued spread of HIV in India.

Full text of the article is available on the following url

http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/apc.2007.0166?cookieSet=1