Characteristics of HIV seroprevalence of visitors to public health centers under the national HIV surveillance system in Korea: cross sectional study

Mee-Kyung Kee,Chaeshin Chu,Eun-Ju Lee,Sung-Soon Kim,Jin-Hee Lee

doi:10.1186/1471-2458-9-123

Abstract

BackgroundIn Korea, the cumulative number of HIV-infected individuals was smaller than those of other countries. Mandatory HIV tests, dominating method until 1990's, have been gradually changed to voluntary HIV tests. We investigated HIV seroprevalence status and its characteristics of visitors to Public Health Centers (PHCs), which conducted both mandatory test and voluntary test under the national HIV/STI surveillance program.MethodsWe used HIV-testing data from 246 PHCs in 2005 through the Health Care Information System. The number of test taker was calculated using the code distinguished by the residential identification number. The subjects were classified into four groups by reason for testing; General group, HIV infection suspected group (HIV ISG), HIV test recommended group (HIV TRG), and sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk group.ResultsPeople living with HIV/AIDS were 149 (124 male and 25 female) among 280,456 individuals tested at PHCs. HIV seroprevalence was 5.3 per 10,000 individuals. Overall, the male revealed significantly higher seroprevalence than the female (adjusted Odds Ratio (adj. OR): 6.2; CI 3.8–10.2). Individuals aged 30–39 years (adj. OR: 2.6; CI 1.7–4.0), and 40–49 years (adj. OR: 3.8; CI 2.4–6.0) had higher seroprevalence than 20–29 years. Seroprevalence of HIV ISG (voluntary test takers and cases referred by doctors) was significantly higher than those of others. Foreigners showed higher seroprevalence than native Koreans (adj. OR: 3.8; CI 2.2–6.4). HIV ISG (adj. OR: 4.9; CI 3.2–7.5), and HIV TRG (adj. OR: 2.6; CI 1.3–5.4) had higher seroprevalence than General group.ConclusionA question on the efficiency of current mandatory test is raised because the seroprevalence of mandatory test takers was low. However, HIV ISG included voluntary test takers was high in our result. Therefore, we suggest that Korea needs to develop a method encouraging more people to take voluntary tests at PHCs, also to expand the anonymous testing centers and Voluntary Counselling and Testing Program (VCT) for general population to easily access to HIV testing.

Highlights

In Korea, the cumulative number of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals was smaller than those of other countries
The repeated number was significantly greater in the sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk groups than in other groups (p < 0.0001), and there were statistically significant differences in the repeated number between the male and the female in the HIV infection suspected group (HIV ISG) and the STI risk groups, but not for the General group and the HIV test recommended group (HIV TRG) (Figure 1)
Our result revealed that voluntary testing might be superior in identification of HIV-infected individuals, since HIV seroprevalence was low in the STI risk group while high in the HIV ISG

Summary

Introduction

In Korea, the cumulative number of HIV-infected individuals was smaller than those of other countries. The first case of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in Korea was a foreign resident, and the first human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected Korean contracted the virus during overseas travel in 1985 [1]. This stimulated a national preventative system for this emerging infection in Korea, which became prevalent in the United States and Europe in the early 1980s [2,3]. This exempted restaurant, food industry employees and others from mandatory HIV testing [8]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion