Population-Based Study of Chlamydial Infection in China

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
After record high levels of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the late 1940s, China's socialist regime was remarkably successful in suppressing commercial sex and STDs from the 1950s through the 1970s.1-3 However, in the last 2 decades, commercial sex has returned, and STD prevalence in China has increased. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has begun to spread beyond the initial transmission pockets of injection drug users (IDUs) and blood transfusions.4-6 If current infection trends persist, absolute numbers of individuals with HIV infection are projected to surpass current numbers in the United States within 2 years and those in South Africa (currently the highest) within a decade.6,7 Reports from public health clinics and special studies of high-risk clinic patients, IDUs, and commercial sex workers reveal several dimensions of the problem.8-10