Abstract

In 2010, the infectious disease surveillance system of Korea was faced with a series of changes. For sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, chancroid, genital herpes, condyloma accuminata or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), every case had to be reported according to the Infectious Disease Prevention Law passed in 2003. But the reporting system for STIs was changed to a ‘Sentinel Surveillance System' in 2010, except for syphilis and AIDS, due to the fact that reporting every case was not practically possible and their occurrences should be continuously monitored to ensure the early detection and control of these diseases. In addition, the public health improvement or control activities of medical personnel need regular feedback of the surveillance results. However, the efficient reporting or surveillance of STIs has yet to be successfully carried out because of special requirements such as the need to protect patient's privacy. Therefore, to set up countermeasures and research to prevent the spread of STIs, first line medical personnel should be active and familiar with the reporting system so that the nationwide surveillance system can be successfully managed. (Korean J UTII 2012;7:121-128)

• Keywords: Sexually transmitted diseases, Disease notification, Public health