Publications

community prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases and human immunodeficiency virus infection in tamil nadu, india: a probability proportional to size cluster survey.	human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) infection and aids is threatening the survival of many nations. to evaluate ongoing interventional strategies and burden of illness estimates, valid data on the prevalence of hiv are required. often, in the absence of community prevalence data, estimates are based on surrogate markers such as prevalence of hiv in antenatal clinics. even though the antenatal prevalence of hiv is easier to measure and can be repeated for evaluation, it is important to establish t ...	2002	12186325
association of hepatitis c virus infection with sexual exposure in southern india.	to determine the association between sexual exposure and hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection in urban chennai, india, a random sample of adults who live in a slum community completed interviews and provided samples to test for hcv, herpes simplex virus type 2 (hsv-2), and other sexually transmitted infections (stis). all analyses excluded recent and current injection drug users. hcv infection was not associated with the reported number of sex partners for men or women. women were more likely to be ...	2003	12905135
bacterial vaginosis in women of low socioeconomic status living in slum areas in chennai, india.	bacterial vaginosis (bv) is a common cause of vaginitis among women of childbearing age. this study was performed to investigate the prevalence of bv and its association with sexually transmitted infections among 487 women of low socioeconomic status. blood, vaginal and endocervical swabs were tested for hiv, herpes simplex virus-2 (hsv-2), treponema pallidum, bv, chlamydia trachomatis, neisseria gonorrhoea and trichomonas vaginalis. of the women screened for bv, 120 (25, 95% ci 20.8-28.4) were ...	2006	17112444
gender differences in the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections and genital symptoms in an urban setting in southern india.	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.	2006	16757513
hiv rates and risk behaviors are low in the general population of men in southern india but high in alcohol venues: results from 2 probability surveys.	as the hiv epidemic continues to expand in india, empiric data are needed to determine the course of the epidemic for high-risk populations and the general population.	2007	18077840
geographic prevalence and multilevel determination of community-level factors associated with herpes simplex virus type 2 infection in chennai, india.	herpes simplex virus type 2 (hsv-2) is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections, and it increases the risk of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 at least twofold. individual-level factors are insufficient to explain geographic and population variation in hsv-2, suggesting the need to identify ecologic factors. the authors sought to determine the geographic prevalence and community-level factors associated with hsv-2 after controlling for individual-level factors ...	2008	18388348
prevalence and incidence of sexually transmitted infections among south indians at increased risk of hiv infection.	sexually transmitted infections (stis) have been identified as cofactors of hiv transmission. greater understanding of local sti burdens can assist in the development of more effective sti and hiv prevention strategies. the aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and incidence of stis among south indian men and women identified to be at increased risk for hiv infection. individuals at increased risk for hiv infection were enrolled in a prospective longitudinal study in chennai, india (n ...	2008	18627276
the emerging hiv epidemic among men who have sex with men in tamil nadu, india: geographic diffusion and bisexual concurrency.	in india, men who have sex with men (msm) remain hidden because anal intercourse was criminalized and marriage socially required. we characterize hiv/sti prevalence among msm in tamil nadu. eligible participants were recruited using respondent-driven sampling in eight cities (n = 721). median age was 28, 34% were married and 40% self-identified as homosexual. median number of male partners in the prior year was 15; 45% reported any unprotected anal intercourse (uai). hiv, herpes simplex virus-2 ...	2010	20467890