Recent changes in the reporting of STIs in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic
Conclusions
The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with variable changes in the reporting of STIs in Japan. Higher-than-predicted reporting was more likely to be observed in the later phases of the pandemic. These changes may have been attributable to pandemic-related changes in sexual behaviour and decreased STI clinic attendance and testing, but further research on the long-term impact of the pandemic on STIs is necessary. (Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections)
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - February 17, 2023 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Ghaznavi, C., Tanoue, Y., Kawashima, T., Eguchi, A., Yoneoka, D., Sakamoto, H., Ueda, P., Ishikane, M., Ando, N., Miyazato, Y., Nomura, S. Tags: Open access, COVID-19 Short reports Source Type: research
Association of high-risk sexual behaviours with sexually transmitted infections among men who have sex with men living with HIV
Conclusions
Chlamydia and gonorrhoea are more likely associated with high-risk sexual behaviours than syphilis and anal HPV among MSM living with HIV. (Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections)
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - February 17, 2023 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Raccagni, A. R., Poli, A., Galli, L., Spagnuolo, V., Bruzzesi, E., Muccini, C., Gianotti, N., Canetti, D., Mainardi, I., Castagna, A., Nozza, S. Tags: Short reports Source Type: research
Distribution of HIV self-tests by men who have sex with men attending a French sexual health centre: results of the OTO study
Conclusion
MSMs attending sexual health centres could be good disseminators of HSTs, targeting a population with high level of undiagnosed HIV infections, especially if they have already experimented it. (Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections)
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - February 17, 2023 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Gosset, D., Plathey, M., Lert, F., Lasry, S., Jedrzejewski, T., Gazalet, P., L'Yavanc, T., Pierre, N., Kachal, A., Fremondiere, M., Ohayon, M., Palich, R. Tags: Short reports Source Type: research
Person-centred language and HIV research: a cross-sectional examination of stigmatising terminology in medical literature
Conclusion
Despite numerous guidelines and requirements for the use of PCL in research, our findings suggest that an alarming number of HIV-related articles are not following these guidelines. This is concerning because this labelling likely contributes to the persistence of stigma in HIV-centred care. The intentional use of person-centred language in medical research has the potential to minimise the use of stigmatising language among medical professionals, in medical education, in medical records and patient encounters, and thus reduce stigma. (Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections)
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - February 17, 2023 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: McPherson, K. A., Reddy, A. K., Sajjadi, N. B., Deboy, K., Gajjar, S., Lad, M., Hartwell, M. Tags: Original research Source Type: research
Self-sampled specimens demonstrate comparable accuracy and consistency to clinician-sampled specimens for HPV detection among men who have sex with men in China
Conclusions
Self-sampled HPV testing demonstrated comparable accuracy and consistency to clinician sampling among MSM in China. It holds the potential to complement sexual health services especially among key populations. (Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections)
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - February 17, 2023 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Ni, Y., Lu, Y., He, X., Li, Y., Li, Y., Guo, S., Ong, J. J., Xu, C., Wang, X., Yan, X., Tao, Y., Liu, N., Tang, W. Tags: Editor's choice Original research Source Type: research
Alcohol and drug use during sex and its association with sexually transmitted infections: a retrospective cohort study among young people aged under 25 years visiting Dutch STI clinics
Discussion
Alcohol and drug use during sex was highly prevalent among young women and heterosexual men visiting the STI clinic and drug use during sex was associated with an increased risk for STI, probably mediated by sexual behaviour. This indicates that a holistic health promotion strategy, addressing STI prevention and alcohol and drug use-related harm reduction, is important in this group. STI clinics should address this behaviour not only among MSM, but also among young women and heterosexual men. (Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections)
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - February 17, 2023 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Evers, Y. J., op den Camp, K. P. L., Lenaers, M., Dukers-Muijrers, N. H. T. M., Hoebe, C. J. P. A. Tags: Original research Source Type: research
Specific detection of Treponema pallidum in clinical samples: validation of a qPCR assay combining two genomic targets
Conclusions
We validated a new qPCR for detecting the TP genome in clinical samples with excellent sensitivity and specificity. The cloning of polA and tpp47 genes for calibration would be interesting in the evaluation of bacterial loads in samples. (Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections)
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - February 17, 2023 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Salle, R., Mayslich, C., Grange, P. A., Leducq, V., Ollagnier, G., Heller, U., Saule, J., Martinet, P., Robert, J.-L., Benhaddou, N., Fouere, S., Dupin, N. Tags: Original research Source Type: research
Epidemiology and spatial distribution of people diagnosed with HIV between 1997 and 2020 in Kerman, Iran
Conclusion
We observed important changes in HIV epidemiology regarding gender, modes of transmission, number of paediatric cases and density maps over time in Kerman. These changes should be considered for precise targeting of HIV prevention and treatment programmes. (Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections)
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - February 17, 2023 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Mirzaei, H., Mirzazadeh, A., Barouni, M., Ranjbar, E., Eybpoosh, S., Sharifi, H. Tags: Original research Source Type: research
Rapid reconfiguration of sexual health services in response to UK autochthonous transmission of mpox (monkeypox)
Background In 2015, the UN General Assembly announced its 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, including the WHO’s aims to achieve a 90% decrease in STIs and to end the epidemic of neglected tropical diseases.1 In 2022, reports emerged regarding the sexual transmission of one such neglected tropical disease, mpox (monkeypox). Within weeks, a global outbreak was confirmed. First described in 1958 in a colony of research monkeys in a Copenhagen laboratory, the symptoms of this new ‘mpox’ orthopoxvirus were phenotypically similar to the variola virus disease, smallpox. By 1970, the first documented case of zo...
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - February 17, 2023 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Heskin, J., Dickinson, M., Brown, N., Girometti, N., Feeney, M., Hardie, J., Evans, C., McOwan, A., Higgs, C., Basnayake, S., Davies, G. W., Randell, P., Bracchi, M., Boffito, M., Asboe, D., Moore, L. S., Rayment, M., Mughal, N., Byrne, R., Jones, R. Tags: Editorial Source Type: research
Research news in clinical context
Men who have sex with men in the Netherlands engage in more risky sexual behaviour and experience a higher rate of gonorrhoea diagnoses after starting HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis The effect of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use, on sexual behaviour and STI transmission risk among men who have sex with men (MSM) is debated. Investigators in the Netherlands quantified the rate and distribution of gonorrhoea, chlamydia and syphilis diagnoses before and after the introduction of PrEP among 630 HIV-negative MSM in a prospective cohort study and developed a sexual behaviour risk score predictive of STI diagnosis.1 Between 2009...
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - January 17, 2023 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Raffe, S., Tang, W., Villa, G. Tags: Perspectives Source Type: research
HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis use among gender-diverse people attending a sexual health service
There is little data on HIV prevalence or HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use among gender-diverse people in the UK.1 Current guidelines recommend that PrEP be offered to transgender women (TGW) at risk of HIV through condomless anal sex and transgender men and women having condomless sex with partners.2 We aimed to explore the number of gender-diverse people who were eligible and using PrEP among attendees at our large sexual health service in Brighton, UK. There were 108 gender-diverse individuals who attended the clinic between January and December 2021; 41/108 (38%) were transgender men (TGM), 38/108 (35%) TGW and ...
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - January 17, 2023 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Ross, S., Garcia, D., Villa, G., Crossman, J., Fitzpatrick, C., Richardson, D. Tags: PostScript Source Type: research
'Multidrug-resistant Mycoplasma genitalium urethritis: successful eradication with sequential therapy
Dear Editor, A 45-year-old gay man on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) presented with a 4-month history of intermittent urethral discharge, urgency and burning unresponsive to several antibiotic courses (table 1). Table 1History of antibiotic treatment and detection of Mgen in a man presenting with symptoms of urethritis AssessmentsTestingPositivityTreatmentSymptoms(onset) Month 1Ng, Ct, Mgen, Mh, Uu/p (pharyngeal, rectal, urethral)Mgen (urethral)Ceftriaxone 1g+azithromycin 1 g (empiric)PresentMonth 2Ng, Ct, Mgen, Mh, Uu/p (pharyngeal, rectal, urethral)Mgen (urethral)Doxycycline 100 mg two times per day for 7 daysPresen...
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - January 17, 2023 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Raccagni, A. R., Bruzzesi, E., Spagnuolo, V., Canetti, D., Castagna, A., Nozza, S. Tags: PostScript Source Type: research
Understanding the duration of tongue kissing among female sex workers for potential oropharyngeal-oropharyngeal gonorrhoea transmission
This study aimed to examine the duration of kissing among FSWs. We performed a cross-sectional survey between 1 May 2019 and 13 March 2020 at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MSHC), Australia. Women aged 18 years or above who self-reported working as a sex worker and... (Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections)
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - January 17, 2023 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Chow, E. P. F., Lew, C., Tran, J., Phillips, T. R., Maddaford, K., Fairley, C. K. Tags: Research letter Source Type: research
SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence in a London HIV clinic cohort
The COVID-19 pandemic started in London during the latter part of January 2020 and reached its peak in April 2020. Antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 develop 2–3 weeks after exposure and decreases following recovery from illness.1 In the UK, patients accessing the National Health Service were able to request SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing since May 2020. Patients attending our HIV clinic were able to opt-in for SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing during their routine monitoring visit for blood tests. Laboratory tests were used to detect SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid antibodies in serum samples. A retrospective study was conducted to know t...
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - January 17, 2023 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Sivaraj, V., Coleman, H., Nebbia, G., Douthwaite, S., Kulasegaram, R. Tags: COVID-19 Research letter Source Type: research
Mycoplasma genitalium macrolide and fluoroquinolone resistance in pregnant women in Papua New Guinea
Mycoplasma genitalium is a sexually transmitted bacterium that colonises the human urogenital tract and in pregnant women has been associated with adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes.1 In pregnancy, the prevalence of M. genitalium is estimated to be 0.9% (95% CI 0.6% to 1.4%) in high-income settings and 12.5% in individual studies in low- and middle-income-countries.1 2 Globally, M. genitalium antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to escalate,3 and despite rising rates of AMR the prevalence of macrolide and fluoroquinolone resistance in M. genitalium has not been widely studied among pregnant women.2 Treatment of M. ge...
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - January 17, 2023 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Jonduo, M. E., Vallely, A. J., Whiley, D. M., Riddell, M. A., Pomat, W., Low, N., Sweeney, E. L. Tags: Open access Research letter Source Type: research
