[Recent trends in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and anti-HIV testing in foreign residents in Japan].
To explore the recent situation of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic in foreign residents in Japan, a survey of medical records between 1989-1992 was performed in a clinic located in a small district of Tokyo metropolitan area where foreign prostitutes were relatively concentrated. From medical records results of laboratory tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydial infection were collected. The present study revealed (1) that more than 1000 foreigners, of whom the majority were Thai, with a female to male ratio over 10, visited the clinic during the 4 years with a marked increase from 1990 to 1991, (2) that among the laboratory tests only anti-HIV testing rate markedly increased by 2-3 fold from 1990 to 1991 in both sexes (3) that anti-HIV seropositives were 41 in total (F = 39, M = 2), around 4% in both sexes, with a slight increasing trend in females and particularly high infection rate (14.0%) in females aged < 20 and (4) that no significant correlation was observed between HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases. These results suggest that the remarkable increase witnessed by the recent AIDS surveillance in Japan could have been influenced at least in part by the sudden increase in the testing rate for anti-HIV as well as by the increase in the number of foreigners visiting clinics. It also suggests the critical importance of targeting foreign females of high risk behaviour in the AIDS prevention strategies in Japan since HIV infection rates were high among foreign females, especially in teenagers.
Kihara
M
M
Department of Epidemiology, Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute.
Kihara
M
M
Shimizu
M
M
Soda
K
K
D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*