IN PRACTICE

Gender differences in the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections and genital symptoms in an urban setting in southern India

S Panchanadeswaran¹, S C Johnson², K H Mayer³, A K Srikrishnan², S Sivaran¹, C E Zelaya¹, V F Go¹, S Solomon², M E Bentley⁴ and D D Celentano¹

¹ Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
² Y R Gaitonde Centre for AIDS Research and Education, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
³ Miriam Hospital, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
⁴ Carolina Population Center, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
S Panchanadeswaran
Department. of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, E6133, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; spanchan{at}jhsph.edu

Objectives: 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.

Study design: 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.

Abbreviations: HSV, herpes simplex virus; NIMH, National Institute of Mental Health; STI, sexually transmitted infection

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