The Association of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 (HSV-2),Haemophilus ducreyi, and Syphilis with HIV Infection in Young Men in Northern Thailand

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Abstract
To evaluate the association between sexually transmitted diseases that commonly may cause genital ulceration and prevalent and incident HIV infections, we conducted three case control studies in a cohort of 21-year-old male military conscripts in northern Thailand. The men were evaluated at baseline in 1991 and semiannually until their discharge 2 years later. Serologic evidence of infection with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), Haemophilus ducreyi, and HIV were more frequent at baseline in 83 men with a history of genital ulcer than in 97 men without such a history. Seropositivity of H. ducreyi (odds ratio [OR] = 3.46), HSV-2 (OR= 3.83), and syphilis (OR = 1.53) were more common in HIV-positive than HIV-negative men. Men (N = 45) who seroconverted to HIV while in the military were more often seropositive for H. ducreyi and HSV-2 before HIV seroconversion and also were more likely to seroconvert to HSV-2 and H. ducreyi during the same interval as their HIV seroconversion compared with men who remained HIV-negative. These data suggest that HSV-2 and H. ducreyi may be both markers for high-risk sexual behavior and risk factors for HIV infection among young men in Thailand.