scholarly journals Barriers to Testing for Sexually Transmitted Infections among HIV-Serodiscordant Couples: The Influence of Discrimination

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenna Alarcon ◽  
Tamra B. Loeb ◽  
Alison B. Hamilton ◽  
Nicholas J. Moss ◽  
Condessa M. Curley ◽  
...  

Objectives: African Americans face chal­lenges in accessing services for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). From 2012- 2016, the EBAN II intervention was funded by the NIH to test the effectiveness of implementing a culturally congruent, evidence-based HIV/AIDS prevention program in Los Angeles and Oakland, California. This study examined the impact of personal characteristics and experiences of discrimination on the likelihood of being tested for STIs.Method: Participants (N=91) completed a baseline survey. Descriptive statistics were used to test for differences between those who did and did not obtain STI testing. Factors included HIV serostatus, sociodemo­graphic variables, STI history, the presence of outside partners, and discrimination ex­periences. Multiple logistic regressions were conducted for men and women separately.Results: Participants with no recent experi­ences of discrimination were more than 3 (3.4) times more likely to obtain a baseline STI test than those who reported discrimina­tion experiences. HIV-positive women with no recent experiences of discrimination were 11 times more likely than those with reports of recent discrimination to obtain STI tests.Conclusions: It is often women who are the gatekeepers for health seeking in families and the same may be for these couples. Ex­periences of discrimination may impede STI testing, and heighten several health risks, particularly among HIV-positive African American women in HIV-serodiscordant relationships. Addressing the impact of dis­crimination experiences may be important for STI prevention and treatment efforts in interventions promoting health care utilization. Ethn Dis. 2020;30(2):261-268; doi:10.18865/ed.30.2.261 

2021 ◽  
pp. 095646242110327
Author(s):  
Nava Yeganeh ◽  
Regis Kreitchmann ◽  
Mei Leng ◽  
Karin Nielsen-Saines ◽  
Pamina M Gorbach ◽  
...  

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can adversely affect a woman’s pregnancy and the health of the developing fetus. The source of these infections may be the male sexual partner who remains under-diagnosed and un-treated due to a combination of lack of symptoms, decreased access to health care, and poor health-seeking behaviors. From September 2018 to November 2019, we offered a cohort of pregnant women (gestational age range: 4.6–41 weeks) clinic-based STI testing for HIV and syphilis (via lateral flow assay rapid tests) and for Neisseria (N.) gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia (C.) trachomatis, and Trichomonas (T.) vaginalis (via PCR-based testing) at Santa Casa Hospital and 10 affiliated prenatal clinics in Porto Alegre, Brazil. 400 women between the ages of 18 and 46 years (mean age: 27 years) enrolled and 24% were diagnosed with an STI. Each woman enrolled agreed to invite their male partners to clinic for the same panel of STI testing, and 255 men (64%) between the ages of 18 and 64 years (mean age: 29 years) attended clinic and all accepted full intervention. In these male partners, 40 (16%) were diagnosed with an STI including 22 (8.7%) testing positive for C. trachomatis, 15 (6%) for treponemal antibody (syphilis), 7 (2.8%) for T. vaginalis, 3 (1.2%) for N. gonorrhoeae, and 1 (0.4%) for HIV antibody. In our multivariate analysis, having symptoms of an STI (AOR 4.5, 95% CI 1.3–15.2) and arguing about jealousy (AOR 3.1, 95% CI 1.2–8.2) remained significantly associated with male diagnosis of an STI. Sexually transmitted infections are common in sexual partners of pregnant women in Brazil and should be addressed to prevent reinfection of pregnant women.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asma Azizi ◽  
Karen Ríos-Soto ◽  
Anuj Mubayi ◽  
James M. Hyman

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Tu ◽  
Yu-Ye Li ◽  
Yi-Qun Kuang ◽  
Rong-Hui Xie ◽  
Xing-Qi Dong ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Yunnan has the highest rates of HIV in the country. Other treatable sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are associated with accelerated HIV transmission and poor ART outcomes, but are only diagnosed by syndromic algorithms. Methods We recruited 406 HIV-positive participants for a cross-sectional study (204 ART-naive and 202 ART). Blood samples and first-voided urine samples were collected. Real-time polymerase chain reaction methods were used for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG). Syphilis and HSV-2 tests were also performed. Results Among 406 participants, the overall prevalence of STI was 47.0% and 45.1% in ART-naive individuals and 49.0% in ART individuals, respectively. Testing frequency was 11.6% (11.8% vs 11.4%), 33.2% (29.4% vs 37.1%), 3.2% (3.4% vs 3.0%), 2.0% (3.4% vs 0.5%) and 4.7% (6.4% vs 3.0%) for active syphilis, HSV-2, chlamydia, gonorrhoeae and genitalium. Percentage of multiple infections in both groups was 10.8% (22/204) in ART-naive participants and 9.9% (20/202) in ART participants. Females, age between 18 to 35 years, ever injected drugs, homosexual or bisexual, HIV/HBV coinfection, and not receiving ART were identified as risk factors. Self-reported asymptom was not eliminating of having a laboratory-diagnosed STI. Conclusions STI prevalence was 47.0% (45.1% vs 49.0%), HSV-2, syphilis and MG were the most common STIs in HIV-infected individuals. We found high prevalence (6.4%) of Mycoplasma genitalium in ART-naive individuals. ART can reduce the diversity of STI-HIV coinfection but not the prevalence. HIV-positive individuals tend to neglect or maybe hide their genital tract discomfort, thus we suggest strengthening STI joint screening and treatment services among HIV-infected individuals whether they describe genital tract discomfort or not.


Author(s):  
Krishna C. Poudel ◽  
Kalpana Poudel-Tandukar ◽  
Paula H. Palmer ◽  
Tetsuya Mizoue ◽  
Masamine Jimba ◽  
...  

In Asian concentrated HIV epidemics, data on coinfection of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among HIV-positive individuals are limited. The authors measured the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhea (NG), and syphilis, and their correlates among 319 HIV-positive individuals in Kathmandu, Nepal. The authors tested blood samples for syphilis and urine samples for CT and NG. Overall, 17 (5.3%) participants had at least 1 STI (CT: 1.3%, NG: 2.8%, and syphilis: 1.2%). Of 226 participants who had sex in past 6 months, 51.3% did not always use condoms. Older (aged 35-60 years) participants were more likely (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.83; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.19-12.33; P = .024) and those who were currently married (AOR = 0.30; 95% CI = 0.09-0.97; P = .046) or on antiretroviral therapy (AOR = 0.21; 95% CI = 0.06-0.71; P = .012) were less likely to have at least 1 STI. Our results suggest the need to strengthen the efforts to screen and treat STIs and to promote safer sexual practices among Nepalese HIV-positive individuals.


2021 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-73
Author(s):  
Ângela Roda ◽  
João Borges-Costa

Trichomoniasis is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide. In women, Trichomonas vaginalis infection may present with vaginitis, cervicitis, or pelvic inflammatory disease, while in men it is mainly asymptomatic or causes mild and transient symptoms of urethritis, epididymitis, or prostatitis. In the past, little importance had been given to the impact of T. vaginalis infection on men’s health, since it was believed to be a self-limited condition without sequelae. However, there is growing evidence it is associated with more serious disorders in both men and women and efforts to diagnose and treat this parasitic infection have increased. Recent advances in testing for sexually transmitted diseases using multiplex molecular assays have increased diagnostic opportunities for T. vaginalis infection, especially in men, as detection of the parasite by traditional methods is much more challenging. We describe an unusual case of male urethritis caused by T. vaginalis observed in our consultation of Sexually Transmitted Infections.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S212-S213
Author(s):  
Timothy William. Menza ◽  
Lauren Lipira ◽  
Amisha Bhattarai ◽  
Joseph Ramirez ◽  
Roberto Orellana

Abstract Background Rectal gonorrhea and Chlamydia are common and predict HIV acquisition among men who have sex with men (MSM); however, screening for rectal sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is not routine. Methods In 2017, we recruited sexually-active MSM in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area through venue-based sampling. Our outcome of interest was self-reported rectal STI screening in the prior 12 months. Stratified by HIV status, we assessed the prevalence and demographic, healthcare, clinical, and behavioral predictors of screening. Results Of 448 participants, 168 (37.5%) reported rectal STI screening. One hundred twenty-seven (35.8%) of 355 HIV-negative men, 41 (58.6%) of 70 HIV-positive men, and none of 23 men who did not know their HIV status reported screening. Among HIV-negative men, having a healthcare provider who offered HIV testing (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR]=2.09; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.43, 3.04), a syphilis diagnosis (aPR=1.32; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.69), use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (aPR=1.57; 95% CI 1.21, 2.04), and condomless anal sex with casual partners in the prior 12 months (aPR=1.74; 95% CI: 1.36, 2.22) independently predicted screening for rectal STI in multivariable analysis. HIV-positive men who reported having a provider who always or often initiates conversations about sex were significantly more likely to report screening compared with men who did not have such a provider (aPR=1.48; 95% CI: 1.06, 2.06). Conclusion Rectal STI screening is not universal in a venue-based sample of sexually-active MSM. Implementing innovative, acceptable, and accessible screening practices and improving provider comfort with talking about sex are paramount to increasing rectal STI screening. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.


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