scholarly journals Community-Based, Point-of-Care Sexually Transmitted Infection Screening Among High-Risk Adolescents in Los Angeles and New Orleans: Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea Lee Shannon ◽  
Maryann Koussa ◽  
Sung-Jae Lee ◽  
Jasmine Fournier ◽  
Sue Ellen Abdalian ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates are increasing in the United States, with approximately half of new infections occurring among adolescents aged 15-24 years. Gay, bisexual, and transgender youth (GBTY), homeless youth, and youth with histories of drug use, mental health disorders, and incarceration are all at uniquely high risk for STIs. However, these adolescents often lack access to sexual health services. OBJECTIVE This study aims to use point-of-care STI tests in community-based settings to screen for and treat STIs in adolescents. METHODS We are recruiting 1500 HIV-uninfected youth and 220 HIV-infected youth from homeless shelters, GBTY organizations, and community health centers in Los Angeles, California and New Orleans, Louisiana. Study participants will receive STI screening every 4 months for 24 months. STI screening includes rapid HIV, syphilis, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Hepatitis C virus testing. Trained paraprofessionals will conduct all STI testing. When a participant screens positive for an STI, they are either linked to a partner medical clinic or provided with same-day antibiotic therapy and expedited partner therapy. We will monitor STI prevalence among study participants as well as point-of-care test performance, linkage to care, and treatment outcomes. RESULTS The project was funded in 2016, and enrollment will be completed in 2019. Preliminary data analysis is currently underway. CONCLUSIONS As STI rates continue to rise, it is important to improve access to screening and treatment services, particularly for high-risk adolescents. In this study, we aim to evaluate the use of point-of-care STI diagnostic tests in community-based organizations. We hope to determine the prevalence of STIs among these adolescents and evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of community-based STI screening and treatment. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03134833; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03134833 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPOR DERR1-10.2196/10795

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (8) ◽  
pp. 751-759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen H Logie ◽  
Moses Okumu ◽  
Shannon Ryan ◽  
Dahlak M Yehdego ◽  
Nakia Lee-Foon

We adapted the Healthy Love Workshop (HLW), an HIV prevention workshop for African American women in the United States, for African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) women in Toronto, Canada. We conducted a pilot study with ACB women ( n = 80) in ten community-based settings with pre-test (T1), post-test (T2) and three-month follow-up (T3) surveys. Mixed-effect regression results indicated significant increases in condom use self-efficacy and sexually transmitted infection (STI) knowledge scores from T1 to T3. Qualitative feedback revealed increased STI knowledge, confidence using condoms and suggestions for future HLWs. Findings highlight the promise of the adapted HLW for HIV/STI prevention with ACB women in Canada.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 357-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann-Marie Lobo ◽  
Yan Gao ◽  
Laura Rusie ◽  
Magda Houlberg ◽  
Supriya D Mehta

In 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) released clinical advisories on rising cases of ocular syphilis. We examined the association between eye disease and syphilis infection among primary care and sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic patients attending an urban lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) health center. We conducted a retrospective medical record review of all patients who underwent syphilis testing at Howard Brown Health between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2015. Confirmed eye diagnosis was based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) diagnosis codes for conjunctivitis, uveitis, keratitis, retinitis, and red eye. Demographic information, syphilis treatment, HIV status, and high-risk behaviors were abstracted. Syphilis diagnosis was defined by available laboratory data (enzyme immunoassay [EIA], rapid plasma reagin [RPR] titer, fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption [FTA-Abs], Treponema pallidum Ab). Multivariable logistic regression with robust variance was used to identify independent associations. During the study period, 71,299 syphilis tests were performed on 30,422 patients. There were 2288 (3.2%) positive syphilis tests. Seventy-seven patients had a confirmed eye diagnosis (0.25%). Patients with eye disease had higher probability of at least one positive syphilis test (33%) compared to those without eye disease (8%) ( p < 0.01). Of patients with eye disease, 77% were men who had sex with men (MSM) and 65% were HIV-positive. Patients with eye disease had 5.97 (95% CI: 3.70, 9.63) higher odds of having syphilis compared to patients without eye disease. When adjusted for age, race, gender/sexual orientation, insurance status, and HIV status, this association between positive syphilis test and eye disease decreased but was still significant (OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.17, 3.41). Patients who present with an eye diagnosis to STI/primary care clinic have a higher probability of positive syphilis tests even after adjusting for other risk factors for syphilis. High-risk patients with eye symptoms should have routine STI testing and in keeping with CDC and AAO recommendations, full ophthalmologic examination.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. e83209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivian Colón-López ◽  
Ana Patricia Ortiz ◽  
Lizbeth Del Toro-Mejías ◽  
Michael Craig Clatts ◽  
Joel M. Palefsky

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha Ali Abdulai ◽  
Frank Baiden ◽  
Samuel Afari-Asiedu ◽  
Lawrence Gyabaa-Febir ◽  
Kwame Kesse Adjei ◽  
...  

Sexually transmitted infection (STI) affects the reproductive health of both men and women worldwide. Condoms are important part of the available preventive strategies for STI control. The lack of proper risk-perception continues to impede women’s ability to negotiate condom use with their partners. This paper is the outcome of secondary analysis of data collected in a cross-sectional survey that explored the perception of risk of STI and its influence on condom use among 504 pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at two health facilities in the Kintampo North Municipality. Consecutively, three Focus Group Discussions were conducted among 22 pregnant women which was analyzed using thematic analysis technique. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify possible predictors of condom use and risk of STI. Respondents mean age was 26.0±5.9 years. 47% of respondents self-identified themselves as high risk for contracting STI, 50% of whom were married. High risk status (OR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.1–4.4), ability to ask for condoms during sex (OR = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.1–0.73), and partner’s approval of condom use (OR = 0.2, 95% CI: 0.01–0.05) were independent predictors of condom use. Condom use (OR 2.9 (1.5–5.7); p=0.001) and marital status (engaged, OR 2.6 (1.5–4.5); p=0.001) were independent predictors of risk of STI. Women who self-identified themselves as high risk for STI successfully negotiated condom use with their partners. This is however influenced by partner’s approval and ability to convince partner to use condoms. Self-assessment of STI risk by women and the cooperation of male partners remain critical.


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