Cambodia has the highest prevalence of HIV in Asia. Several sexually transmitted infections (STIs)--including syphilis, gonorrhea, and chancroid--were also widely prevalent in Cambodia during the rapid growth phase of its HIV epidemic. Such curable infections can increase the probability of infection with HIV by as much as 300 times. STIs also are directly responsible for a large proportion of preventable morbidity and mortality, including pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, infertility, and congenital infections.

The Cambodian National Center for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STD (NCHADS) conducts surveillance at regular intervals to monitor biological and behavioral indicators of HIV. In 2001, HCHADS organized an STI prevalence survey to:

• Determine the presence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, and syphilis seropositivity among brothel-based sex workers, police, and women attending reproductive health clinics, and of Trichomonas vaginalis and bacterial vaginosis among the female groups;
  
  
• Determine the antimicrobial resistance patterns of N. gonorrhoeae;
  
  
• Measure the frequency of and the associations between risk behaviors and exposures to STIs among the groups tested; and
  
  
• Determine the prevalence and etiology of genital ulcers.

This report documents the 2001 surveillance findings.