Herpes simplex virus type-2 seropositivity among ever married women in South and north Vietnam: a population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate herpes simplex virus type-2 (HSV-2) seropositivity and associated risk factors in Vietnamese women. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with personal interviews and gynecological examinations among population-based samples of ever married women, aged 15 to 69 years, living in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and Hanoi in 1997. Type-specific IgG antibodies against HSV-2 were detected using HerpeSelect ELISA (Focus Diagnostics). Adjusted prevalence ratios were estimated with log-binomial regression. RESULTS: HSV-2 seroprevalence was higher in 1106 women from HCMC (30.8%, 95% CI: 28.1-33.4, age-standardized to 2000 world standard population) than in 1170 women from Hanoi (8.8%, 95% CI: 7.1-10.5). In HCMC, HSV-2 seroprevalence was higher for women who were not married, HPV DNA positive, current hormonal contraceptive users, or had a history of multiple sexual partners or spontaneous abortion. HCMC seroprevalence was inversely associated with educational attainment, age at first intercourse, and age at first pregnancy. In the multivariable model for HCMC, a trend of increasing HSV-2 seroprevalence with age was observed, and prevalence ratios were nearly identical to age-adjusted prevalence ratios for marital status, age at first pregnancy, and HPV DNA positivity. CONCLUSIONS: HSV-2 was notably less prevalent in Hanoi than HCMC, where it was associated with traditional HSV-2 risk factors. These results are likely explained by socio-cultural, historical, economic, and demographic factors related to urban-rural and regional differences. Future population-based studies should include men and never-married women as a next step toward obtaining a more nearly complete picture of HSV-2 epidemiology in Vietnam.

Epidemiology of oral and pharyngeal cancers in Khon Kaen, Thailand: a high incidence in females.

BACKGROUND: This study was aimed to describe incidence, trends, and survival of oral and pharyngeal cancers in Khon Kaen, the province situated in the northeast of Thai-land. METHODS: Data on oral and pharyngeal cancer cases diagnosed during 1985 - 2001 were retrieved from the population-based cancer registry of Khon Kaen. The final status of the patients was verified by database linkage and follow-up using postcards. RESULTS: Of 1,038 cases, 62.6% were female and 37.4% were male, with a mean age of 63 years. The age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) in females (6.2 per 100 000; 95%CI 5.7-6.7) was significantly higher than in males (3.9 per 100 000; 95%CI 3.5-4.4). Annual percent changes in ASR were 1.7 in females (p<0.05), but 1.2 in males. Lip and buccal cancers were the most common sites respectively; however, the incidence of tongue cancer was increasing in the last period. Eighty five percent of all cases were diagnosed in advanced stage (stage III and IV). The overall five-year relative survival was 43.1%. We found stage distribution and survival did not change during the study period. CONCLUSION: The considerably high incidence in female suggests a need for research on specific risk factors. Moreover, attempts should be made to detect oral cancers earlier in order to improve the outcomes of cancer control.