title: Epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of HIV/AIDS patients in Turkey, where the prevalence is the lowest in the region.
abstract: The authors describe the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of 97 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, who were followed between 1993 and 2006. Seventy-two percent of the patients were male, and median age at diagnosis was 36 years (range, 13-71 years). The mean years of survival was 3, and maximum length of life after diagnosis was 9 years. The most common professions were truck drivers, workers, and housewives. Forty-six percent of the males had a history of working abroad. Heterosexual intercourse was the most common (84%) route of transmission. Seventy-four percent of the women acquired infection from their husbands. In Turkey, less educated or uneducated and poor men are the primary target of the HIV infection usually by sexual contact with foreign women. Considering the low education status of the patients, appropriate education programs should be developed to prevent the dissemination of HIV infection. Because a significant number of patients were diagnosed at very late stages, the physicians and other health care workers should be educated on the clinical pictures of HIV/AIDS.
authors.affiliation: Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, The First Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Clinic, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aysel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Celikbas
authors.forename: Onder
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ergonul
authors.forename: Nurcan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Baykam
authors.forename: Sebnem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eren
authors.forename: Harika
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Esener
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eroğlu
authors.forename: Basak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dokuzoguz
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology