title: Gender differences in the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections and genital symptoms in an urban setting in southern India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine gender differences in sexual behaviour, the prevalence of laboratory-detected sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and self-reported genital symptoms in urban Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data were based on a cross-sectional survey (n = 1649) of residents from low-income communities in Chennai. Data were collected during community-wide health camps comprising physical examinations, interviews and laboratory testing between March and June 2001.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The population was young, sexually active, with a low prevalence of STI. The most commonly detected STI was Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV2; 13.2%). Women had a higher prevalence of HSV2, but were more likely than men to be asymptomatic. Most of the self-reported genital symptoms could not be linked to a laboratory-detected STI. >10% of the cohort had a history of an ulcerative STI and >5% had an inflammatory STI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given a high prevalence of HSV2 in the study population, interventions targeting HSV2 transmission may be particularly relevant for this population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. spanchan@jhsph.edu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Panchanadeswaran
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Srikrishnan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sivaran
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Zelaya
authors.forename: V F
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Go
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bentley
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Celentano
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014504:Urban Health