  In reactions with $q \bar q$ production or $q\bar q$ annihilation, initial-
and final-state interactions give rise to large corrections to the lowest-order
cross sections. We evaluate the correction factor first for low relative
kinetic energies by studying the distortion of the relative wave function. We
then follow the procedure of Schwinger to interpolate this result with the
well-known perturbative QCD vertex correction factors at high energies, to
obtain an explicit semi-empirical correction factor applicable to the whole
range of energies. The correction factor predicts an enhancement for $q\bar q$
in color-singlet states and a suppression for color-octet states, the effect
increasing as the relative velocity decreases. Consequences on dilepton
production in the quark-gluon plasma, the Drell-Yan process, and heavy quark
production processes are discussed.
