Yonsei Med J.  2003 Jun;44(3):363-370. 10.3349/ymj.2003.44.3.363.

Epidemiology and Clinical Features of HIV Infection/AIDS in Korea

• Kim JM
• Cho GJ
• Hong SK
• Chang KH
• Chung JS
• Choi YH
• Song YG
• Huh A
• Yeom JS
• Lee KS
• Choi JY

• KMID: 720864
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2003.44.3.363

Abstract

HIV infection/AIDS shows characteristic epidemiological and clinical patterns according to the region, country, and race. The epidemiological and clinical patterns of HIV infection/ AIDS in Korea was investigated by retrospectively analyzing the medical records of 176 HIV-infected persons who visited two major referral hospitals of AIDS in Korea from 1985 to April 2000. The most common transmission route was heterosexual contact (52.3%), followed by homosexual contact (23.9%). Among the opportunistic diseases, candidiasis was the most prevalent (21.6%), followed by Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (15.9%), tuberculosis (12.5%), and CMV infection (9.1%). The most common initial AIDS-defining opportunistic disease was tuberculosis (33.3%). The most common causes of death were tuberculosis (25.7%) and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (25.7%). This study describes the epidemiological and clinical patterns of HIV infection/AIDS in Korea, which not only enables us to accurately understand HIV infection/ AIDS in this country, but eventually to aid in establishing effective preventive measures and treatment guidelines in Korea.

Keyword

HIV; HIV infection; AIDS; Korea; epidemiology; clinical feature

MeSH Terms

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*complications/*epidemiology
Adolescent
Adult
Female
Human
Korea/epidemiology
Male
Middle Aged
Opportunistic Infections/etiology
Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/mortality
Prevalence
Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Tuberculosis/mortality