Patterns and Trends in STIs

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are responsible for a large burden of disease and death in developing countries because of their impact on reproductive and child health,1 and their role in making HIV transmission more efficient.2 Globally, almost 57 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) are lost to STIs.3 Prevention and management of STIs have improved over the past two decades, but large differences in the epidemiology of STIs between the developed and developing countries persist. Incidence and prevalence rates are higher in both urban and rural populations in developing countries than in developed settings. Because diagnosis and treatment of STIs are often delayed or inadequate in developing countries, rates of complications can also be high. These complications ca