Sexually transmitted diseases on a tropical island.

Singapore is a bustling cosmopolitan island city, situated at the southern tip of Peninsula Malaysia. It is 602 square kilometres with a population density of 3784 persons per square kilometre. The population is made up of Chinese (76 %), Malays (15 %), Indians (7 %), and others (20%). The distribution of the sexes in the population is equal except for Indians who still exhibit a migrant pattern with a sex ratio of 1 -4 males to 1 female. The population is young with 600% between the ages of 15 and 59 years. The growing and expanding economy has provided full employment for residents and it has attracted migrant workers from the region. Singapore today enjoys an annual per capita income of $5969 (US$2436), second only, in Asia, to Japan. In recent years, there has been a tendency for women to be economically independent, seeking employment in the industrial and commercial sectors. The proportion of economically active women between the ages of 15 and 44 years has risen from 21 % in 1957 to 42% in 1975. Singapore is situated at the crossroads of international sea and air travel. In 1976, 1 492 218 tourists, businessmen, and officials visited the republic and stayed for about 3-3 days (Department of Statistics, 1977; Ministry of Health, 1977).