J Korean Med Sci.  1999 Oct;14(5):469-474. 10.3346/jkms.1999.14.5.469.

Epidemiology of HIV infection in the Republic of Korea

• Oh MD
• Choe K

• KMID: 646012
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.1999.14.5.469

Abstract

Since the first case of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in the Republic of Korea (ROK) was detected in 1985, 876 HIV-infected patients have been reported, as of December 1998. The male to female ratio was 6.8:1, and 87% of the patients were between 20 and 49 years of age. The major modes of transmission were sexual contacts, accounting for 86% of the cases (65% heterosexuals and 21% homosexuals). Transmission through blood and blood products accounted for 28 cases (3.2%), and vertical transmission for one case. No cases among intravenous drug abusers were reported. The seroprevalence among the blood donors was approximately one in 100,000. Subtypes A, B, C, D, E, and G of HIV-1 have been introduced into the ROK, and subtype B is the most predominant subtype. The frequency of the a deletion in the CCR5 gene, a coreceptor of HIV-1, was less than 1% among Koreans.

Keyword

HIV; Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; Epidemiology; Receptors, CCR5; Korea

MeSH Terms

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/transmission
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/genetics
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/epidemiology*
Adolescence
Adult
Age Distribution
Aged
Blood Donors/statistics & numerical data
Child
Child, Preschool
Disease Transmission, Horizontal/statistics & numerical data
Disease Transmission, Horizontal/prevention & control
Female
HIV Seroprevalence
HIV-1/genetics
HIV-1/classification
Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data
Human
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Korea/epidemiology
Male
Middle Age
Military Personnel/statistics & numerical data
Mutation
Receptors, CCR5/genetics
Sex Distribution