Experiences of living with a sexually transmitted disease: A cross-sectional descriptive survey

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-116
Author(s):  
Toni Haapa ◽  
Tarja Suominen ◽  
Anna-Maija Koivisto ◽  
Jari Kylmä

Some dimensions such as stigmatization have been identified in the previous literature regarding experiences of living with a sexually transmitted disease (STD). However, relatively little is known about the generic experiences of those infected. The aim of this study was to describe the experiences of living with an STD, as evaluated by those infected. Data ( n = 213) were collected via an online questionnaire and analysed using statistical methods. The experiences of living with an STD varied overall. The immutability of everyday life, a thirst for knowledge, a responsible attitude towards treatment of an STD and the dilemma of disclosing the STD were considered to best describe the experiences of living with an STD. The most recently diagnosed STD and its phase were most often statistically significantly associated with the experiences. We conclude that the diversity of these experiences should be recognized in healthcare, and used in the prevention of STDs.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lena Jakob ◽  
Theresa Steeb ◽  
Zeno Fiocco ◽  
Teodora Pumnea ◽  
Sophia Nomi Jakob ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND In the emerging era of digitalization and electronic health, various health-related apps have been launched, including apps for sexually transmitted diseases. Until now, little has been known about how patients perceive the value of such apps. OBJECTIVE To investigate patient’s attitudes and awareness toward sexually transmitted disease–related apps in an outpatient sexually transmitted disease clinic setting. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted at a dermatovenereological outpatient unit between April and July 2019. Patients completed a self-administered questionnaire on their perceptions of the popularity and usefulness of sexually transmitted disease–related apps. Descriptive analysis was performed with expression of categorical variables as frequencies and percentages. For continuous variables, the median, range, and interquartile range were indicated. Contingency tables and chi-square tests were used to investigate associations between sociodemographic data and items of the questionnaire. RESULTS A total of 226 patients were surveyed (heterosexual: 137/193, 71.0%; homosexual: 44/193, 22.8%; bisexual: 12/193, 6.2%); 11.9% (27/225) had previously used health-related apps. Nearly half of the patients (97/214, 45.3%) specifically considered sexually transmitted disease–related apps useful, 47.8% (100/209) voted that they could supplement or support the consultation of a physician. Interestingly, only 35.1% (74/211) preferred a printed patient brochure on sexually transmitted diseases over downloading and using an app, but 64.0% (134/209) would download a sexually transmitted disease–related app recommended by their physician. General information regarding sexually transmitted diseases (93/167, 55.7%), evaluation of skin diseases based on photos or videos (78/167, 53.3%), information on the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (76/167, 45.5%), mediation of nearby contact points or test sites (74/167, 44.3%), anonymous medical advice (69/167, 41.3%), and calculation of the risk of having a sexually transmitted disease (63/167, 37.3%) were rated as the most important features. Men were more likely than women to find sexually transmitted disease–related apps useful in general (<i>P</i>=.04; χ<sup>2</sup>=6.28) and to pay for such apps (<i>P</i>=.01; χ<sup>2</sup>=9.19). Patients aged &lt;40 years would rather download an app recommended by their physician (<i>P</i>=.03; χ<sup>2</sup>=7.23), whereas patients aged &gt;40 years preferred reading a patient brochure on sexually transmitted diseases (<i>P</i>=.02; χ<sup>2</sup>=8.14). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated high general interest in the use of sexually transmitted disease–related apps in this sample of dermatovenereological outpatients. In particular, young age and male sex were significantly associated with a positive perception, underlining the high potential of apps in the prevention and early recognition of sexually transmitted diseases in this group. Future studies are warranted to validate these findings in other populations.


2002 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 195-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Navarro ◽  
Ann Jolly ◽  
Rama Nair ◽  
Yue Chen

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the occurrence of genital chlamydia in developed countries and review the literature assessing the potential risk factors for this sexually transmitted disease.DATA SOURCES: A MEDLINE search was performed for all English citations from 1985 to 2000 that contain the keywords "Chlamydia trachomatis", "chlamydial infections", "risk factors" and "sex behaviour". All relevant references cited in articles that were obtained from the search were also included.DATA EXTRACTION: All articles obtained from the above sources were examined, and were included in the review if they met the following criteria: primary study examining sociodemographic or behavioural risk factors associated with genital chlamydial infection using multivariate analysis; study subjects 12 years of age and older; and study setting in a developed country.DATA SYNTHESIS AND CONCLUSIONS: Genital chlamydial infection has become the most commonly reported bacterial infection in North America over the past decade. Thirty-eight cross-sectional studies and six cohort studies were included in the present review. Most studies demonstrated that young men and women are at higher risk of being infected with chlamydia than older subjects. Chlamydia seems to be found in a diverse group of people, and unlike gonorrhea, is not concentrated in low income, minority core groups with high rates of partner change. However, a number of studies have shown that communities with well-established control programs are beginning to demonstrate this pattern. There is no clear evidence that chlamydia is associated with type of partners, contraceptive use, or age at first intercourse. Future research should follow this sexually transmitted disease as it evolves through the epidemiological stages to ensure that preventive and treatment services are reaching those people who are most likely to be infected.


2020 ◽  
pp. 095646242095371
Author(s):  
Opeyemi C Ojo ◽  
Janet N Arno ◽  
Guoyu Tao ◽  
Chirag G Patel ◽  
Zuoyi Zhang ◽  
...  

Surveillance of gonorrhea (GC), the second most common notifiable disease in the United States, depends on case reports. Population-level data that contain the number of individuals tested in addition to morbidity are lacking. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of data obtained from individuals tested for GC recorded in a sexually transmitted disease (STD) registry in the state of Indiana. Descriptive statistics were performed, and a Poisson generalized linear model was used to evaluate the number of individuals tested for GC and the positivity rate. GC cases from a subset of the registry were compared to CDC counts to determine the completeness of the registry. A total of 1,870,811 GC tests were linked to 627,870 unique individuals. Individuals tested for GC increased from 54,334 in 2004 to 269,701 in 2016; likewise, GC cases increased from 2,039 to 5,997. However, positivity rate decreased from 3.75% in 2004 to 2.22% in 2016. The difference in the number of GC cases captured by the registry and those reported to the CDC was not statistically significant (P = 0.0665). Population-level data from an STD registry combining electronic medical records and public health case data may inform STD control efforts. In Indiana, increased testing rates appeared to correlate with increased GC morbidity.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Qiaoqin Ma ◽  
Xiaohong Pan ◽  
Gaofeng Cai ◽  
Jiezhe Yan ◽  
Yun Xu ◽  
...  

This study is to determine the prevalence of unintended pregnancy and its risk factors among the female attendees of sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics in Zhejiang Province, China. A self-administered questionnaire survey of a cross-sectional design was administered to attendees at four STD clinics in 2007. Of the 313 female STD clinic attendees, 42.5% reported that they had at least one unintended pregnancy; the induced abortion rate was 39.0%. Over their lifetime, 12.1% responded “use condoms always/often” and 5.4% “always/often used oral contraceptives.” The risk factors for the unintended pregnancy identified by the multivariate analysis were as follows: being married, experience of nonconsensual sex, and a history of STD, having two and over two sexual partners. Unintended pregnancies and induced abortion by female STD clinic attendees have reached an alarming prevalence. Doctors at STD clinics should attach importance not only to the STD problem of the female attendees, but also to the unintended pregnancy and the associated factors. Targeted contraceptive counseling and intervention should be promoted at STD clinics as a strategy to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the reproductive health services in China.


10.2196/16517 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. e16517
Author(s):  
Lena Jakob ◽  
Theresa Steeb ◽  
Zeno Fiocco ◽  
Teodora Pumnea ◽  
Sophia Nomi Jakob ◽  
...  

Background In the emerging era of digitalization and electronic health, various health-related apps have been launched, including apps for sexually transmitted diseases. Until now, little has been known about how patients perceive the value of such apps. Objective To investigate patient’s attitudes and awareness toward sexually transmitted disease–related apps in an outpatient sexually transmitted disease clinic setting. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at a dermatovenereological outpatient unit between April and July 2019. Patients completed a self-administered questionnaire on their perceptions of the popularity and usefulness of sexually transmitted disease–related apps. Descriptive analysis was performed with expression of categorical variables as frequencies and percentages. For continuous variables, the median, range, and interquartile range were indicated. Contingency tables and chi-square tests were used to investigate associations between sociodemographic data and items of the questionnaire. Results A total of 226 patients were surveyed (heterosexual: 137/193, 71.0%; homosexual: 44/193, 22.8%; bisexual: 12/193, 6.2%); 11.9% (27/225) had previously used health-related apps. Nearly half of the patients (97/214, 45.3%) specifically considered sexually transmitted disease–related apps useful, 47.8% (100/209) voted that they could supplement or support the consultation of a physician. Interestingly, only 35.1% (74/211) preferred a printed patient brochure on sexually transmitted diseases over downloading and using an app, but 64.0% (134/209) would download a sexually transmitted disease–related app recommended by their physician. General information regarding sexually transmitted diseases (93/167, 55.7%), evaluation of skin diseases based on photos or videos (78/167, 53.3%), information on the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (76/167, 45.5%), mediation of nearby contact points or test sites (74/167, 44.3%), anonymous medical advice (69/167, 41.3%), and calculation of the risk of having a sexually transmitted disease (63/167, 37.3%) were rated as the most important features. Men were more likely than women to find sexually transmitted disease–related apps useful in general (P=.04; χ2=6.28) and to pay for such apps (P=.01; χ2=9.19). Patients aged <40 years would rather download an app recommended by their physician (P=.03; χ2=7.23), whereas patients aged >40 years preferred reading a patient brochure on sexually transmitted diseases (P=.02; χ2=8.14). Conclusions This study demonstrated high general interest in the use of sexually transmitted disease–related apps in this sample of dermatovenereological outpatients. In particular, young age and male sex were significantly associated with a positive perception, underlining the high potential of apps in the prevention and early recognition of sexually transmitted diseases in this group. Future studies are warranted to validate these findings in other populations.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oluranti J. Obisesan ◽  
Olugbenga A. Olowe ◽  
Samuel S. Taiwo

The management of genitourinary candidiasis (GC) is fraught with challenges, especially, in an era of increasing antifungal resistance. This descriptive cross-sectional study conducted between May 2013 and January 2014 determined the prevalence and characteristics of GC and the species ofCandidaamong 369 attendees of a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) clinic of Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria. Appropriate urogenital specimen collected from each attendee was examined by microscopy and culture forCandida, with preliminary species identification by CHROMAgarCandidaand confirmation by Analytical Profile Index (API) 20C AUX. The age range of attendees was 1-80 years, mean age was36.32±11.34years, and male to female ratio was 1 to 3. The prevalence of genitourinary candidiasis was 47.4%, with 4.9% in males and 42.5% in females (p<0.0001). The age groups 31–45 and 16–30 have the highest prevalence of 23.3% and 16.8%, respectively. The species ofCandidarecovered includeCandida glabrata46.9%,Candida albicans33.7%,Candida dubliniensis9.7%,Candida tropicalis5.7%,Candida krusei1.7%,Candida lusitaniae1.7%, andCandida utilis0.6%. This study reported non-C. albicansCandida, especiallyC. glabrata,as the most frequently isolated species in GC, contrary to previous studies in this environment and elsewhere.


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