HIV, HCV, and HBV co-infections in a rural area of Shanxi province with a history of commercial blood donation / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Unhygienic blood collection in the early 1990s led to blood-borne infections in Central China. This study aimed to estimate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection with hepatitis C and B viruses (HCV and HBV) and their risk factors in a rural area of Shanxi Province with a history of commercial blood donation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2004. All adult residents in the target area were invited to participate in the study. Face-to-face interviews were completed and blood specimens were tested for HIV, HCV, and HBV surface antigen (HBsAg).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Prevalence rates of HIV, HCV, and HBsAg were 1.3% (40/3 062), 12.7% (389/3 062), and 3.5% (103/2982), respectively. Of the 40 HIV-positive specimens, 85% were HCV positive and 2.5% were HBsAg positive. The history of commercial blood donation was positively associated with HIV, HCV, and HIV/HCV co-infections, but was negatively associated with HBsAg seropositivity. Migration for employment in the last 5 years was positively related to HIV, HBsAg, and HIV/HCV co-infections. Univariate logistic analysis showed that illegal drug use, number of sex partners, extramarital sex behavior, commercial sex behavior, and condom use rate were not related to anti-HIV, anti-HCV, HBsAg seropositivity or their co-infections.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The history of commercial blood donation was the main risk factor for HIV, HCV, and HIV/HCV co-infections in this former commercial blood donation area. HIV and HCV prevention and treatment interventions are important in this area.</p>

Analysis of Infection Sources and Care seeking Behaviour among STD Clinic Clients / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective To understand the infection sources, care seeking behaviour and STD prevention in STD clinic patients. Methods Four hundred and seventy four patients of 3 STD clinics in Shanghai were investigated with questionaires and interviewed. Results 94.1% respondents contracted STDs via sexual contact. 70.3% married females attributed their infection source to their husbands, while more than 80% males and unmarried patients were infected through casual or commercial sex partners. High risk populations were observed among salesclerks, hotel attendants, private businessmen and unemployed, who were liable to contract STD through extramarital sexual contact and had a low rate of condom use. 74.5% of patients who visited the clinics after their symptoms had appeared. 82.7%, 62.2%, 57.1% and 30.0% of patients, whose sex partners were their spouses, lovers, commercial sex workers and casual partners, respectively, promised to encourage their partners for STD check up. Although the care seeking behaviour among females was slightly more active than that among males, postponed treatment seeking behaviour, low rate of simultaneous treatment of both male and female partners and low rate of condom use were observed among total patients. Majority of patients practised unprotected sexual intercourse, 4.2% used condom in commercial sexual activities, only 9.7% used condom even after having contracted the present STDs. Conclusion It is implied that counselling and health education must be strengthened in STD clinics, aiming at improving the awareness of STD prevention, insistently and correctly using condom, carefully choosing sex partners and reducing the number of sex partners, and encouraging the patients to adopt healthier life style.