The current status of sexually transmitted infections in South Korean children in the last 10 years
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Authors
Jang, Yumi
Oh, Eunjung
Issue Date
2021-08-04
Type
Article
Language
en_US
Keywords
Adolescent , Child , Child welfare , Sexual Offenses , Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Alternative Title
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to review the status of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in children in South Korea between 2010 and 2019, as well as to establish guidelines for the prevention and management to reduce the incidence of STIs in children.
Methods: Data reports from 590 STI surveillance institutions in local health center, hospital-level medical institutions with urology or obstetrics/gynecology departments and public hospitals between 2010 and 2019 in the integrative disease management system of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency as of December 2020 were analyzed.
Results: A total of 172,645 cases of STIs were reported over the 10-year period (2010-2019), of which 2,179 cases (1.26%) represented STIs in children below the age of 18 years. A higher incidence of infections was observed in girls (1,499 cases, 68.79%) than in boys (680 cases, 31.21%). The STIs that had the highest incidence were, in descending order, chlamydial infections (997 cases, 45.75%), gonorrhea (592 cases, 27.17%), condyloma acuminata (338 cases, 15.51%), genital herpes (250 cases, 11.47%), and chancroid (2 cases, 0.09%). In adolescents aged 14 to 17 years, chlamydial infections, genital herpes, and gonorrhea were most frequently reported. Condyloma acuminata, in particular, have been consistently reported in children below the age of 14 years.
Conclusion: Children must be protected legally and institutionally from sexual abuse. Specific management protocols for STIs in children must be established by local governments and associated organizations. National human papillomavirus vaccination programs should be expanded to include boys, and anti-STI educational efforts using modern media should be more activated.
Description
Citation
Jang, Y., & Oh, E. (2021). The current status of sexually transmitted infections in South Korean children in the last 10 years. Osong public health and research perspectives, 12(4), 230–235. https://doi.org/10.24171/j.phrp.2021.0046
Publisher
Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives