Painful proctitis associated with anorectal mpox, syphilis, HSV, LGV, gonorrhoea and Mycoplasma genitalium in a person living with virologically suppressed HIV and vaccinated against mpox
A gay man with well-controlled HIV and vaccinated against mpox presented with severe proctitis. Testing revealed anorectal mpox, herpes simplex virus, lymphogranuloma venereum, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Mycoplasma genitalium. Serology was indicative of infectious syphilis. This case highlights the need to consider a wide range of concurrent sexually transmitted infections in patients with proctitis, including those vaccinated against mpox. (Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections)
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - February 19, 2024 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Huang, Z. Y., Cornelisse, V. J., Burdon, R. M. Tags: Case reports Source Type: research
Influences affecting decision-making regarding use of pre-exposure prophylaxis among black men who have sex with men in the USA: a systematic review and meta-synthesis
Conclusion
A more targeted approach focused on advocacy and ambassadorship outside of clinical settings may be more influential in positive decision-making regarding use of PrEP in BMSM populations than relying on traditional outreach methods via institutions and their representatives where stigma, mistrust and structural inequalities perpetuate. (Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections)
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - February 19, 2024 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Hutchins, F., Drey, N. Tags: Open access Systematic review Source Type: research
Acceptability of digital vending machines to access STI and HIV tests in two UK cities
Conclusions
This study demonstrates that vending machines are an acceptable and effective means of accessing infrequent or never testers in the general population and can act as a horizontal intervention to tackle HIV and STIs. Research is needed to understand optimal machine locations to assure privacy and safety along with the long-term impact on sexual health services. (Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections)
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - February 19, 2024 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Gobin, M., Dhillon, S., Kesten, J. M., Horwood, J., Dean, G. L., Stockwell, S., Denford, S., Mear, J., Cooper, R., Copping, J., Lawson, L., Hayward, S., Harryman, L., Vera, J. H. Tags: Open access Original research Source Type: research
Sexual network characteristics and partnership types among men who have sex with men diagnosed with syphilis, gonorrhoea and/or chlamydia in Lima, Peru
Conclusions
Sexual networks and partnership types of Peruvian MSM are associated with differential risks for STIs. Participants diagnosed with syphilis tended to meet single-encounter casual partners at SOPV, while MSM with NG/CT were younger and often contacted casual partners online. Coinfection had higher frequency of transactional sex. These findings suggest the potential importance of public health interventions through combined syphilis/HIV screening at SOPV, syphilis screening at routine clinic appointments for MSM living with HIV and directed advertisements and/or access to NG/CT testing through online platforms. (...
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - February 19, 2024 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Freese, J., Segura, E. R., Gutierrez, J., Lake, J. E., Cabello, R., Clark, J. L., Blair, C. Tags: Original research Source Type: research
Point-of-care testing for sexually transmitted infections and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis among pregnant women in South Africa, 2021-2022: randomised controlled trial
Conclusions
POC STI testing was not associated with PrEP initiation or persistence relative to syndromic management. However, improving STI diagnosis by supplementing syndromic management with POC STI testing could improve PrEP initiation among PPW.
Trial registration number
NCT03902418; Clinical Trials.gov; 1 April 2019. (Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections)
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - February 19, 2024 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: de Voux, A., Nyemba, D. C., Silliman, M., Mashele, N., Mvududu, R., Myer, L., Joseph Davey, D. Tags: Original research Source Type: research
Modelling the impact of vaccination and sexual behaviour adaptations on mpox cases in the USA during the 2022 outbreak
Conclusions
We found that initial declines in cases were likely caused by behavioural adaptation, but vaccination averted more cases overall and was key to hastening outbreak conclusion. Overall, this indicates that outreach to encourage individuals to protect themselves from infection was vital in the early stages of the mpox outbreak, but that combination with a robust vaccination programme hastened outbreak conclusion. (Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections)
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - February 19, 2024 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Clay, P. A., Asher, J. M., Carnes, N., Copen, C. E., Delaney, K. P., Payne, D. C., Pollock, E. D., Mermin, J., Nakazawa, Y., Still, W., Mangla, A. T., Spicknall, I. H. Tags: Original research Source Type: research
Multicentric evaluation of a specific intrathecal anti-Treponema pallidum IgG index as a diagnostic biomarker of neurosyphilis: results from a retro-prospective case-control study
Conclusions
Measurement of an intrathecal synthesis index of specific anti-T. pallidum IgG in patients with CSF inflammatory signs appears to be a valuable diagnostic test. However, in otic or ocular syphilis, presenting few CSF abnormalities, AI is not sufficient alone to confirm NS diagnosis.
Trial registration
Swiss Association of Research Ethics Committees number 2019-00232. (Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections)
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - February 19, 2024 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Alberto, C., Lambeng, N., Deffert, C., Breville, G., Gayet-Ageron, A., Lalive, P., Calmy, A., Coste, A., Papadimitriou-Olivgeris, M., Braun, D., Lienhard, R., Bosshard, P. P., Fontao, L., Toutous Trellu, L. Tags: Original research Source Type: research
Research news in clinical context
Pay-it-forward incentives as a strategy to increase hepatitis B and C testing in the community Pay-it-forward incentives involve offering a free test and then giving a chance to donate money to support testing of another anonymous person. A randomised trial in China studied whether a pay-it-forward approach incentivised hepatitis B and C virus testing uptake among men who have sex with men (MSM): 322 MSM (median age 29 years, IQR 25–37) were randomised to either a pay-it-forward arm or a standard-of-care arm where they paid for their test. Overall, 59% (95/160) of men in the pay-it-forward arm and 25% (41/162) in the...
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - January 17, 2024 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Villa, G., Zace, D., Raffe, S. Tags: Perspective Source Type: research
Is scabies an increasing problem in the UK, and how should the UK Health Security Agency and sexual health services respond?
Scabies, an itchy skin condition caused by Sarcoptes scabiei, affects millions of people worldwide.1 Sexual transmission can occur, but most spread is direct skin-to-skin contact and rarely fomite transmission. Children, refugees, care home, hostel and prison residents and those living in poorer socioeconomic settings are most at risk.1 2 Are rates of scabies rising in the UK? In February 2023, the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) alerted members to reports of an increase in scabies and apparent treatment-resistant cases in Southern England. There has been a concurrent increase in bacterial sexually tr...
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - January 17, 2024 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Morris, G. C., Haddow, L., Sashidharan, P. Tags: BASHH column Source Type: research
Record high incidence of syphilis cases in Finland in 2022
The incidence of sexually transmitted infections in Finland has continued to increase in recent decade and throughout the pandemic.1 2 Concerning development has been especially in Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections. The aim of this brief report was to report the incidence of laboratory-confirmed syphilis cases in Finland. For this nationwide cohort study, all cases of syphilis for adults aged 20 years or more were gathered from the National Infectious Disease Register of Finland from 1995 to 2022. Annual incidence per 100 000 persons with 95% CIs were calculated by Poisson’s exact method. Dur...
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - January 17, 2024 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Kuitunen, I. Tags: PostScript Source Type: research
Correspondence on "A case for the inclusion of doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis for sexually transmitted infections among men who have sex with men in sub-Saharan African countries guidelines for the management of sexually transmitted infections" by "Dzinamarira et al"
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) pose a significant public health challenge, particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM), since significantly they multiply the risk of HIV transmission. The risk of HIV infection among MSM is 28 times greater than that for other adult men. Doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) has emerged as a potential intervention to reduce the transmission of STIs in MSM.1 In this correspondence, we review the literature on the efficacy of doxycycline PEP and the risk of antimicrobial resistance, highlighting the need for the inclusion of doxycycline PEP for STIs among MSM in African c...
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - January 17, 2024 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Dzinamarira, T., Moyo, E., Murewanhema, G. Tags: PostScript Source Type: research
Epidemiology of syphilis among female sex workers and pregnant women during a period of increasing syphilis among women in Japan, 2019-2021
Japan has been facing an unprecedented increase in syphilis, largely among women who have sex with men and men who have sex with women.1–3 Notifications among women have increased >15-fold over the past decade (figure 1A),1 2 and female sex worker (FSW) status has been found to be associated with incident syphilis.4 These epidemiological trends necessitate urgent action to prevent transmission and adverse consequences, including the risk of congenital syphilis due to infections among pregnant women. Figure 1(A) Trends of reported syphilis cases among women, women reporting FSW status and pregnant women, Japan, 201...
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - January 17, 2024 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Kasamatsu, A., Otsuka, M., Takahashi, T., Arima, Y., Arashiro, T., Ito, H., Yamagishi, T., Ohama, Y., Nakayama, S.-i., Akeda, Y., Suzuki, M. Tags: PostScript Source Type: research
Compliance with COVID-19 rules on intimate physical contact between households
Despite concerns about COVID-19 ‘lockdown fatigue’ affecting compliance, most people adhered to the rules on intimate physical contact (ie, sex) between households. Four months after the first lockdown started, ~10% of survey participants in the Natsal-COVID wave 1 study reported sex outside the household in the 4 weeks prior to interview (quasi-representative web panel of 6654 British residents aged 18–59 years; July–August 2020).1 2 Those in steady relationships but not living with their partner (7.6% of sample) were most likely to report sex outside the household (56.8% of this group). Qualitativ...
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - January 17, 2024 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Menezes, D., Sonnenberg, P., Willis, M., Mercer, C. H., Mitchell, K., Field, N. Tags: COVID-19 PostScript Source Type: research
Anorectal Mpox in men who have sex with men associated with sexually transmitted co-infections: a case series
Since May 2022, there has been an outbreak of Mpox in the UK, alongside Europe and the USA, mainly associated with sexual contact among men who have sex with men (MSM).1 The majority of individuals with Mpox experience mild or moderate genital, anorectal and systemic symptoms, followed by complete recovery.1 Overall, published data suggest that 11%–44% of patients present with anorectal symptoms.1–3 In Brighton, we have a large population of MSM and gender diverse people, including ~2500 people using HIV-pre-exposure prophylaxis (HIV-PrEP) who access our sexual health clinics. Patients who present with possible...
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - January 17, 2024 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Russell, A., Siddiq, M., Fitzpatrick, C., Richardson, D. Tags: PostScript Source Type: research
Evaluating preanalytical sample storage parameters for nucleic acid-based detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Conclusions
Increased prevalence of sample self-collection for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) warrants an evaluation of preanalytical sample storage variables on diagnostic testing performance. Here, across a range of time points, temperatures and storage buffers, N. gonorrhoeae was successfully detected, supporting flexibility in sample storage, and by extension the feasibility of analysing self-collected samples to improve access to STI testing. (Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections)
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - January 17, 2024 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Fernando, J. A., Krysiak, M., Prestedge, J., Azzato, F., Williamson, D. A., Pasricha, S. Tags: COVID-19 Short reports Source Type: research
