OBJECTIVETo explore the associated factors on loss to follow-up among men who have sex with men (MSM) in a prospective cohort study.

METHODSWe recruited eligible HIV-negative MSM at baseline in eight cities from June to October 2009. Interviewer-administrated questionnaire and blood testings for HIV, syphilis and human simplex virus type 2, were accomplished upon enrollment, 6-month and 12-month follow-up visits in the program. Loss to follow-up was recorded at each visit in this cohort. Univariate and multivariate statistical analysis were conducted to examine the associated factors on loss to follow-up.

RESULTSA total of 3196 eligible MSM were enrolled at the baseline study. During one year of follow-up, 894 (28.0%) of them dropped out thoroughly while 2302 (72.1%) showed up at least on one visit. Factors as MSM who were at age 25 or younger, resided locally less than 1 year, being unemployed, self-recognized as heterosexuality or bisexuality, never taking HIV testing in the past year, having had sex with women in the past 6 months etc., were more likely to withdraw from the follow-up visits. Conclusion Age, length of residency, sex orientation and history of HIV testing were associated with the loss of follow-up among MSM cohort in our study. These factors should be considered in this kind of study design in the future.

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to characterize the epidemiologic and clinical features of outbreak of syphilis among HIV sero-positive patients in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective case review of patients diagnosed with primary and secondary syphilis from July 1999 to September 2003 was carried out at Seoul National University Hospital in Korea. To estimate the incidence, person-years (PYs) of all HIV sero-positive patients, who visited the hospital in the same period, were calculated every 6 months. RESULTS: In a 51 month period, 465 HIV-positive patients were followed up at Seoul National University Hospital. 38 cases of primary and secondary syphilis were diagnosed. The incidence of primary and secondary syphilis was 4.1 per 100 PYs during the study period. There was no case from July 1999 to December 2001, and then the incidence rose until September 2003 from 5.5 per 100 PYs in 1999 to 18.8 per 100 PYs in 2003. The rate of primary and secondary syphilis was 4.3 times higher among homosexual and bisexual men than heterosexual men (95% CI 1.87 to 11.17), and 10.9 times higher among patients who did not receive HAART than patients who were receiving HAART (95% CI 5.47 to 21.79). CONCLUSION: The outbreak of primary and secondary syphilis among HIV-positive patients started in 2002 and has been escalating, especially among homosexual/bisexual men and in patients who did not receive HAART.
Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active ; Bisexuality ; Heterosexuality ; HIV* ; Homosexuality ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Syphilis*

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to characterize the epidemiologic and clinical features of outbreak of syphilis among HIV sero-positive patients in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective case review of patients diagnosed with primary and secondary syphilis from July 1999 to September 2003 was carried out at Seoul National University Hospital in Korea. To estimate the incidence, person-years (PYs) of all HIV sero-positive patients, who visited the hospital in the same period, were calculated every 6 months. RESULTS: In a 51 month period, 465 HIV-positive patients were followed up at Seoul National University Hospital. 38 cases of primary and secondary syphilis were diagnosed. The incidence of primary and secondary syphilis was 4.1 per 100 PYs during the study period. There was no case from July 1999 to December 2001, and then the incidence rose until September 2003 from 5.5 per 100 PYs in 1999 to 18.8 per 100 PYs in 2003. The rate of primary and secondary syphilis was 4.3 times higher among homosexual and bisexual men than heterosexual men (95% CI 1.87 to 11.17), and 10.9 times higher among patients who did not receive HAART than patients who were receiving HAART (95% CI 5.47 to 21.79). CONCLUSION: The outbreak of primary and secondary syphilis among HIV-positive patients started in 2002 and has been escalating, especially among homosexual/bisexual men and in patients who did not receive HAART.
Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active ; Bisexuality ; Heterosexuality ; HIV* ; Homosexuality ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Syphilis*

PURPOSE: This investigation was carried out to understand how various gender role identity in adolescence affect sexual intercourse. In addition, it was done to support and encourage gender role identity which can protect themselves from physical, psychological, social sexuality. METHOD: From 2003 7.1 to 7.19, questionnaire made by Lee BS(2002) was distributed to 1172 girl high school students in Seoul. Its reliability was as high as 0.80 and it was analysed by SPSS. RESULT: In the 3 kinds of gender role identity, girls who had sexual relations showed higher feminity and masculinity and did not show any difference in social desirability. in the 4 kinds of gender role identity, girls with sexual experience showed higher frequency in oder of androgyny and undifferentiated. In 8kinds, bisexuality was higher and girls with experience showed undifferentiated of low social desirability. There were no difference between the gender role identity and the age of the first sexual experience. The factors that affected gender role identity were school, grade, economic standard and whether they have a girlfriend or boyfriend. CONCLUSION: Programs that focus on problem solving of sexual education for androgyny of sexually high experienced and undifferentiated of low social desirability, should be provided.
Adolescent ; Bisexuality ; Coitus* ; Education ; Female ; Gender Identity* ; Humans ; Masculinity ; Problem Solving ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Seoul ; Sexuality ; Social Desirability

We report a case of a tick bite by Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann. The tick was found on the left knee of a 75-year-old male and captured alive. We observed its process of laying eggs and becoming larvae after human blood sucking. Our data include the size and weight of the female tick (8.2 X 6.2mm, 138mg) after blood sucking, preoviposition period(4 day), oviposition period(21 day), number of eggs(1486) and size of unfed larva(0.40-0.44 x 0.58-0.60 mm). It had a 2n number of 22 chromosomes which showed chromosomal pattern of bisexual clones but its life cycle, especially oviposition to hatching period, showed that of pathenogenetic clones. This is the first Korean report of a tick bite by Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann and the laboratory observation of the causative tick laying eggs and becoming larvae.
Aged ; Bisexuality ; Clone Cells ; Eggs ; Female ; Humans ; Knee ; Larva ; Life Cycle Stages ; Male ; Oviposition ; Ovum ; Tick Bites* ; Ticks*

In order to investigate psychological and behavioral characteristics homosexuals and to present evidence that homosexuals are in danger of HIV infection in Korea, this study was done by self-administered questionnaire and then direct interview with the 28(35%) HIV infected homosexual/bisexuals of 79 HIV infected persons reported in 1992. Homosexuals without heterosexual activity were 9 and the others were bisexuals. Sixty-five percent of respondents had a guilty conscience for their homosexual activity. Twenty(71%) were in twenties and 5(18%) in thirties. Twelve(43%) were detected via health card checking by health office, 21% by blood donation, 18% by hospital visit, and 7% by partner notification. Motivations for homosexual activity were curiosity(36%), temptation or recommendation(14%) and compulsion(11%). Eighteen(72%) never used condom on anal sex. Nine of 26 respondents had experience for anal sex with foreigners. Fourteen(54%) of 26 respondents had history for sexually transmitted diseases. Fightly percent did not have sexual contact after HIV infection and the others usually used condom. It was confirmed that over 57% of the respondents were infected within 1 year before HIV diagnosis and over 82% within 2 years. These data suggest that HIV infection among homosexual group is rapidly spreading.
Bisexuality ; Blood Donors ; Condoms ; Conscience ; Contact Tracing ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Diagnosis ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Heterosexuality ; HIV Infections ; HIV* ; Homosexuality* ; Humans ; Korea ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sexual Behavior ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases

OBJECTIVE: We analyzed the degree of behavioral and psychic masculinization as well as factors influencing the masculinization in female patients with CAH caused by 21-hydroxylase deficiency. METHODS: We studied 26 patients with salt-wasting (SW) type, 29 patients with simple virilizing (SV) type and 30 control patients, who were older than 10 years of age. Study participants were given a questionnaire containing 55 items (20 masculine items, 20 feminine items, 15 neutral items) in order to evaluate the degree of feminity and masculinity. RESULTS: SW and SV girls revealed significantly higher masculine scores and lower feminine scores than the control groups (P<0.05). Feminine scores were lower in the SW group compared to those in the SV group (P<0.05). Neutral scores showed no significant difference among three groups. Masculine, feminine, bisexual and undifferentiated personality characteristics exhibit 57.6%, 3.8%, 7.6%, and 30.7% in SW group, respectively; 31%, 17.2%, 20.6%, and 30%, respectively in SV group; 3.3%, 50.0%, 20.0% and 26.6%, respectively in control group. Masculine scores were negatively correlated with age at diagnosis and treatment (r=-0.516, P<0.05), but not with the levels of 17-hydroxyprogesterone at the time of diagnosis and study, advancement of bone age, age at clitoplasty, age at onset of puberty and age at menarche. CONCLUSIONS: Female patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency, who reveal high masculinizing score, should be closely monitored for the adverse effects of high degree of masculinization, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome. Additionally, it is important to treat adequately after early diagnosis to minimize the degree of masculinization and to develop the prenatal mode of treatment to interrupt the secretion of adrenal androgen.
17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone ; Adolescent ; Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital* ; Bisexuality ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Female* ; Humans ; Masculinity ; Menarche ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome ; Puberty ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Steroid 21-Hydroxylase*

PURPOSE: As health care needs for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) are becoming increasingly important, it has become imperative for the nurses to be attentive towards their health problems and provide nursing care with an open-minded attitude. Due to limited opportunity to provide direct nursing care to LGBT patients, it is hypothesized that simulation would provide good opportunity for students to experience LGBT nursing care in a safe environment. This study was conducted to develop and apply simulation of LGBT nursing care to ultimately provide unbiased nursing care for LGBT population and prepare basic data for LGBT nursing education.METHODS: This study was a single-group pre-post experimental design study for 57 senior nursing students based on the comparison of existing LGBT knowledge, general attitude towards LGBT, and nursing attitude towards LGBT before and after simulation. The scenario content included discussion of coming out issue, providing sexual health information, and supportive nursing care for LGBT population. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon signed rank.RESULTS: Simulation education-led to a significant increase in LGBT knowledge and nursing attitude. However, there was no change in the general attitude towards LGBT.CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that LGBT education using simulation may be effective for nursing students and nurses from the point of concern for LGBT population. It is hypothesized that future LGBT educational programs might need more detailed information from both care recipients and nurses. Finally, LGBT education needs to be included in the nursing education curriculum.
Bisexuality ; Curriculum ; Delivery of Health Care ; Education ; Education, Nursing ; Female ; Homosexuality ; Homosexuality, Female ; Humans ; Nursing Care ; Nursing ; Reproductive Health ; Research Design ; Students, Nursing ; Transgender Persons

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate health disparities between lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults and the general population in Korea, where there is low public acceptance of sexual minorities and a lack of research on the health of sexual minorities.METHODS: The research team conducted a nationwide survey of 2,335 Korean LGB adults in 2016. Using the dataset, we estimated the age-standardized prevalence ratios (SPRs) for poor self-rated health, musculoskeletal pain, depressive symptoms, suicidal behaviors, smoking, and hazardous drinking. We then compared the SPRs of the LGB adults and the general population which participated in three different nationally representative surveys in Korea. SPRs were estimated for each of the four groups (i.e., gay men, bisexual men, lesbians, and bisexual women).RESULTS: Korean LGB adults exhibited a statistically significantly higher prevalence of depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation and attempts, and musculoskeletal pain than the general population. Lesbian and bisexual women had a higher risk of poor self-rated health and smoking than the general women population, whereas gay and bisexual men showed no differences with the general men population. Higher prevalence of hazardous drinking was observed among lesbians, gay men, and bisexual women compared to the general population, but was not observed in bisexual men.CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that LGB adults have poorer health conditions compared to the general population in Korea. These results suggest that interventions are needed to address the health disparities of Korean LGB adults.
Adult ; Bisexuality ; Dataset ; Depression ; Drinking ; Female ; Health Status Disparities ; Homosexuality ; Homosexuality, Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Minority Health ; Musculoskeletal Pain ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Suicidal Ideation

Bisexuality ; psychology ; Female ; HIV Infections ; prevention & control ; Health Promotion ; Homosexuality, Female ; psychology ; Homosexuality, Male ; psychology ; Humans ; Male ; Risk Reduction Behavior ; Singapore ; Transgender Persons ; psychology