Rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in China have soared over the past decade. 1,2 Effective management of STDs is one of the cornerstones of HIV control and provides a unique opportunity for targeted education about HIV prevention. 3,4 A recent study in Thailand revealed that 60% of patients suffering from an STD did not seek treatment from an STD clinic. 5 To reach STD patients, it is important to determine the venues where people seek services and to evaluate the quality of treatment and prevention services in those facilities. The objectives of this study were to identify the facilities in Beijing where most people seek STD treatment and evaluate their prevention services. The study was conducted in Chao Yang District, Beijing, where only large and moderatesized hospitals are authorized to provide STD treatment. Chao Yang District is 30% urban and 70% suburban/rural. There are 1.49 million residents, of whom 12.6% are farmers and 874,000 are migrants. The majority of the population and the large hospitals and other resources are concentrated in the smaller central and northwestern parts of Chao Yang. A cross-sectional study was conducted from November to December 2002 among a sample of each type of STD treating facility. A stratified random sampling method was used to select the sample from the total of 48 comprehensive hospitals. Random samples of 2 of the 3 large hospitals, 5 of the 9 moderate-sized hospitals, and 10 of the 36 small hospitals were selected. In the large and moderate-sized hospitals, the departments providing STD services included dermatovenereology, gynecology, and urology; in the small hospitals, the departments included surgery and gynecology. Information was reviewed and records abstracted from logbooks. The numbers of people diagnosed with urethritis, epididymitis, cervicitis, or pelvic inflammatory disease were recorded. All patients from the STD Center were included.
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