Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections in At-Risk Adolescent Females at a Comprehensive, Stand-Alone Adolescent Health Center in New York City

The number of women under community supervision in the United States has increased, and this population has a high risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We examined STI prevalence and multiple risk factors among drug-involved women under community supervision in New York City. Data were from a randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of a behavioral HIV/STI intervention (Women on the Road to Health [WORTH]) among drug-involved women in the community corrections system in New York City from 2009 to 2012. To be eligible for inclusion, women had to be under community supervision within the past 90 days, have used illicit drugs at least once in the past six months, and have unprotected sex at least once in the past 90 days. Participants completed a survey containing items on STI risk factors and were tested for Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Trichomonas vaginalis. Multivariable regression was used to examine associations between risk factors and STI diagnosis. Of 333 women tested, 89 (26.7%) tested positive for an STI. Ten (3.0%) were positive for C. trachomatis, 4 (1.2%) for N. gonorrhoeae, and 77 (23.1%) for T. vaginalis. Women with any STI were more likely to be black (AOR: 2.02; 95% CI: 1.08–3.77), homeless in the past 90 days (AOR: 2.07; 95% CI: 1.01–4.26), arrested in the past 90 days (AOR: 1.97; 95% CI: 1.14–3.39), and have a greater number of sexual partners in the past 90 days (AOR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.08–1.42). Drug-using women under community supervision have a high burden of STIs driven by multiple risk factors. Implementing STI screening, prevention, and treatment programs in community supervision settings could facilitate a reduction in STIs among this population.

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Women in community corrections in New York City: HIV infection and risks

International Journal of STD & AIDS ◽

10.1177/0956462416633624 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 160-169 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Nabila El-Bassel ◽

Phillip L Marotta ◽

Stacey A Shaw ◽

Mingway Chang ◽

Xin Ma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

New York City ◽

Sexually Transmitted Infections ◽

York City ◽

Community Corrections ◽

Hiv Positive ◽

Sexually Transmitted ◽

Hiv Positive Women ◽

Vaginal Sex ◽

Hiv Negative

Although the incidence of HIV among women on probation, parole and alternatives to incarceration programs is significant to public health, drivers of this concentrated epidemic among women under community corrections remain understudied. This study examined prevalence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections and the associations between substance use, socio-demographic factors and the prevalence of biologically-confirmed HIV and other sexually transmitted infections among a sample of 337 substance-using women recruited from community correction sites in New York City. Prevalence of HIV was 13% and sexually transmitted infections was 26% ( Chlamydia, trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhea). After adjusting for covariates, HIV-positive women were 1.42 times more likely to use crack/cocaine than HIV-negative women (95% CI = 1.05–1.92). HIV-positive women were 25% less likely than HIV-negative women to report any unprotected vaginal and anal sex with their main partner (95% CI = 0.57–0.99). They were 70% less likely than HIV-negative women to report unprotected vaginal sex with a non-paying casual partner (95% CI = 0.1–0.9) and 22% less likely to report unprotected vaginal sex across all partners (95% CI = 0.61–0.99). Community corrections settings may be optimal venues to launch HIV/sexually transmitted infections prevention that have potential to reach and engage an ever-growing number of substance-using women.

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PreexposureProphylaxis at School-Based Health Centers: Awareness and Interest in Starting Preexposure Prophylaxis While Attending a School-Based Health Center in New York City

Journal of Pediatric Health Care ◽

10.1016/j.pedhc.2021.10.006 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Caroline Carnevale ◽

Jason Zucker ◽

Elijah LaSota ◽

Bianka Northland ◽

Angelica Arache ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

New York City ◽

Health Center ◽

York City ◽

Health Centers ◽

School Based ◽

Preexposure Prophylaxis ◽

School Based Health Centers

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A Single-Center Experience with a Pregnant Immigrant Population and Zika Virus Serologic Screening in New York City

American Journal of Perinatology ◽

10.1055/s-0039-1688819 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (07) ◽

pp. 731-737 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Audrey A. Merriam ◽

Chia-Ling Nhan-Chang ◽

B. Isabel Huerta-Bogdan ◽

Ronald Wapner ◽

Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

New York ◽

New York City ◽

York City ◽

Zika Virus ◽

Immunoglobulin M ◽

Immigrant Population ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Neurodevelopmental Outcomes ◽

Positive Urine

Objective Our institution is in an area of New York City with a large population of immigrants from Zika virus endemic areas. With the recent Zika virus outbreak, we sought to examine our center's experience with screening for Zika virus and outcomes among patients who tested positive for the disease during pregnancy. Study Design We performed a chart review of all pregnant patients who tested positive (positive serum or urine polymerase chain reaction [PCR]) or presumed positive (immunoglobulin M [IgM] enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] positive or IgM ELISA equivocal with positive plaque reduction neutralization test) for Zika virus. All tests were performed by the Department of Health (DOH) and followed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines in effect at the time of specimen collection. Testing of cord blood, placenta, and/or neonatal blood were/was performed by the DOH for New York County. Prenatal ultrasounds for fetal head size and surveillance for calcifications were performed by maternal–fetal medicine specialists. Infant head ultrasound results were included when available. Results Between March 2016 and April 2017, 70 pregnant patients were positive or presumed positive for Zika infection during pregnancy. Of those, 16 women had positive urine or serum PCR and the remaining 54 were presumed positive. Among positive cases, five women tested positive via urine PCR only, nine women tested positive via serum PCR only, and two women had both positive urine and serum PCR. Fifteen of 67 infants (22%) born during the study period were born to mothers with positive urine or serum PCR testing. Sixty-five newborns were clinically normal with normal head measurements. Of the intracranial ultrasound performed, one infant had a grade 1 intraventricular hemorrhage, four had incidental choroid plexus cysts, and one had severe ventriculomegaly that was also noted antenatally. There were 2 positive and 15 equivocal infant serum IgM samples and 1 positive placental PCR from these pregnancies. There were four pregnancy terminations and two cases with fetal anomalies in this population that were split evenly between patients who tested positive and those who tested presumed positive for Zika virus during pregnancy. Conclusion We found no differences in pregnancy or neonatal outcomes between women who tested positive and presumed positive for Zika virus during pregnancy. Testing of infants and placenta tissue after delivery was largely inconclusive. Improvement in testing for Zika virus infection is needed to determine which pregnancies are at risk for congenital anomalies. Further research is still needed to determine which children are at risk for poor neurodevelopmental outcomes related to Zika virus and how to best coordinate care among the immigrant population during a new disease epidemic.

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