HIV infection and sexually transmitted infections in Lithuania

Lithuania is a small country with a population of 3.7 million. It has recently been released from the yoke of Soviet rule. HIV infection was first identified in 1988 and while the numbers of cases are small, the incidence is beginning to rise precipitously. A National AIDS Centre has been established in the capital, Vilnius, and a nationwide epidemiological survey is underway. Efforts are being made to prevent HIV infection. Sixty one per cent of notified cases of HIV infection are in Klaipéda, a port city adjacent to the Kaliningrad region and the predominant mode of transmission is by intravenous drug use. The majority of cases of AIDS, however, are seen in Vilnius. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are poorly controlled and there is no national control strategy. While the incidence of gonorrhoea is declining, new cases of syphilis have been on the increase, reaching 101.4 cases per 100,000 of the population. Cases of congenital syphilis are still seen.