Objectives:To document the prevalence of reproductive tract infections (RTI) and sexually transmitted infections (STI) among women attending a basic healthcare clinic in Dhaka, Bangladesh, to identify risk factors associated with the diseases and to estimate the incidence of syphilis, hepatitis C (HCV), hepatitis B (HBV), and herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2) infection. Methods: A cross sectional sample of 2335 consecutive women was examined during 1996-8. Women were interviewed about risk factors for RTI/STI and tested for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis, Treponema pallidum, HIV, HCV, HBV, HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection as well as vaginal candidosis and bacterial vaginosis. Women with antibodies to T pallidum were retested at regular intervals. One year after ending the study seroconversion for syphilis, HBV, HCV, and HSV-2 infection was detected among women initially negative for the respective diseases. Results: The overall prevalence rate of N gonorrhoeae, C trachomatis, T vaginalis, and T pallidum infection was 0.5%, 1.9%, 2.0%, and 2.9% respectively. Overall, 35% of the women had antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen, 0.9% had HCV, and 12% HSV-2 infection. Risk factors for gonorrhoea/C trachomatis infection were a husband not living at home or suspected of being unfaithful. HSV-2 infection was associated with the same risk factors and with a polygamous marriage. The prevalence of HSV-2 infection among women "at risk" was 23%. HIV infection was not diagnosed. Repeated serological examination indicated that only 32% of women with serological evidence of syphilis had active disease. The seroincidences of HBV, HCV, and HSV-2 were 0.03, 0.007, and 0.009 per person year. Seroconversion for syphilis was not observed. IntroductionLittle information exists on the prevalence of reproductive tract infections/sexually transmitted infections (RTI/STI) in Bangladesh. During 1985-6, the prevalence of gonorrhoea, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Trichomonas vaginalis infection was 0.4%, 2%, and 5% respectively among symptomatic married women in a rural area.1 Ten years later identical rates were found in a similar population in the same geographic area.2 The present study was undertaken to eliminate the lack of information on RTI/STI among urban women.

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We prospectively studied the demographics, the clinical and diagnostic features, the HIV-1 serostatus and the therapeutic response for all new patients with septic arthritis (SA) admitted to the Department of Internal Medicine of the Centre Hospitalier de Kigali, Rwanda, over a 19 month period. SA was diagnosed in 24 patients (10 male, 14 female), of whom 19 (79%) were HIV-1 seropositive (HIVpos). Gonococcal arthritis was found in four patients, all HIVpos. Non-gonococcal bacterial arthritis was established in 16 patients, of whom 13 were HIVpos. Causative organisms involved in this group and the corresponding HIV-1 serostatus of the patients were:

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