[Prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and HIV-infection among attendees of STD Outpatient Clinic, Dijkzigt University Hospital in Rotterdam; comparative analysis of years 1993 and 1998].
OBJECTIVE
To gain an impression as to the possible trends in the prevalence of VD and HIV between 1993 and 1998.


METHODS
Retrospective.


METHODS
Data of age, gender, ethnic background, sexual preference, intravenous drug use and a diagnosis of VD or HIV infection for persons attending the VD Outpatient Clinic of the Department of Dermato-Venereology of the Dijkzigt University Hospital in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, for the first time were compared for the years 1993 and 1998.


RESULTS
The number of patients examined was 3099 (1894 men and 1205 women) in 1993 and 3696 (1878 men and 1818 women) in 1998. No diagnosis of venereal disease was made in 58.9% and 56.2% of them, respectively. The prevalence of HIV infection decreased from 1.3% in 1993 to 0.6% in 1998. This was caused mainly by a decline in the prevalence of HIV-antibodies among men with homosexual contacts. In the total population, the prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis decreased significantly (from 5.4% to 2.5% and from 9.3% to 7.5%, respectively), but there was no similar decrease among the men with homosexual contacts.
Academisch Ziekenhuis Rotterdam-Dijkzigt, afd. Dermato-venerologie, Rotterdam.
E M
EM
van der Snoek
R A
RA
Chin-A-Lien
M A
MA
de Ridder
P W
PW
Willems
R P
RP
Verkooyen
W I
WI
van der Meijden
D015897:Comorbidity / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006716:Homosexuality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011477:Sex Work / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology*