Risk factors for abnormal anal cytology in young heterosexual women.
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Although anal cancers are up to four times more common in women than men, little is known about the natural history of anal human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and HPV-related anal lesions in women. This study reports on the prevalence of and risks for anal cytological abnormalities over a 1-year period in a cohort of young women participating in a study of the natural history of cervical HPV infection. In addition to their regularly scheduled sexual behavior interviews and cervical testing, consenting women received anal HPV DNA and cytological testing. Anal cytology smears were obtained from 410 women whose mean age was 22.5 +/- 2.5 years at the onset of the study. Sixteen women (3.9%) were found to have abnormal anal cytology: 4 women had low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) or condyloma; and 12 women had atypical cells of undetermined significance. Factors found to be significantly associated with abnormal anal cytology were a history of anal sex [odds ratio (OR), 6.90; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.7-47.2], a history of cervical SILs (OR, 4.13; 95% CI, 1.3-14.9), and a current anal HPV infection (OR, 12.28; 95% CI, 3.9-43.5). The strong association between anal intercourse and the development of HPV-induced SILs supports the role of sexual transmission of HPV in anal SILs. Young women who had engaged in anal intercourse or had a history of cervical SILs were found to be at highest risk. (+info)
Patient referral outcome in gonorrhoea and chlamydial infections.
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OBJECTIVE: To describe the outcome of patient referral at the STD clinic of the University Hospital Rotterdam. To study characteristics of heterosexual index patients and partnerships related to referral outcome. METHODS: In 1994, patients with gonorrhoea and chlamydia were referred to public health nurses for interview and patient referral. Referral outcome was classified as "verified" if partners attended the STD clinic and as "believed" if partners were said to have attended elsewhere. RESULTS: Of 454 patients, 250 (55%) participated in the study. The outcome of patient referral for the 502 eligible partners was 103 (20.5%) verified referrals, 102 (20%) believed referrals, and 297 (59%) with unknown follow up. Of the 103 partners examined, 43 had an STD of which 63% reported no symptoms. The contact finding ratio was higher for chlamydia patients and heterosexual men. Also, referral was more effective for index patients with recent sexual contact, with follow up visits to the public health nurse, for men who were not commercial sex worker (CSW) clients, and, to a lesser degree, for Dutch patients and patients who sometimes used condoms. For steady partners, referral was improved if the last sexual contact was more recent. Casual partners visited the clinic more often if sexual contact occurred more than once, if the last contact was more recent, if they were older, and if they were Dutch. CONCLUSIONS: Patient referral was more effective for certain groups, such as chlamydia patients and steady partners, but was inadequate for others, including CSW and their clients, other "one night stands", young partners, and ethnic minorities. (+info)
Heterosexual HIV transmission and STD prevalence: predictions of a theoretical model.
(3/549)
BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggest that concurrent sexually transmitted infection may enhance HIV transmission. This paper explores some theoretical consequences of this using a mathematical model of transmission of HIV and other STD pathogens. OBJECTIVES: To develop a deterministic mathematical model to describe the heterosexual transmission dynamics of both HIV and a bacterial STD. STUDY DESIGN: We used survey derived estimates of sexual behaviour in a young heterosexual London population in our deterministic mathematical model to estimate the effects on an HIV epidemic of different levels of STD prevalence in such a population. RESULTS: We show that the predictions of the model are plausible and suggest that, even under conditions both of low STD prevalence and of low HIV transmission enhancement, a substantial proportion of HIV transmission events may be attributable to concurrent STD. CONCLUSIONS: It is likely that epidemics of heterosexually transmitted HIV infection in industrialised countries have been limited in size by the relative success of efforts to control STD. None the less, a significant proportion of heterosexual transmission events which do occur may be attributable to concurrent STD. In developing countries, cheap and simple STD care is likely to be a highly cost effective strategy to prevent HIV transmission. (+info)
Sexual transmission and prevention of the hepatitis viruses A-E and G.
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OBJECTIVES: To assess current knowledge about the potential for sexual transmission of the hepatitis viruses A-E and G and how to prevent any such transmission. METHOD: A search of published literature identified through Medline 1966-June 1998 (Ovid v 3.0), the Cochrane Library and reference lists taken from each article obtained. Textword and MeSH searches for hepatitis A, B, C, D, E, G, delta, GB virus, GBV-C were linked to searches under the textword terms sex$, vaccine$, prevent$, and MeSH subheadings, epidemiology, transmission, prevention, and control. CONCLUSIONS: There is evidence for heterosexual transmission of hepatitis B, C, D, and G and homosexual transmission of hepatitis A-D and G. Condoms are an effective method for preventing transmission by penetrative vaginal or anal sex although spread of types A and B are linked also to oro-anal sex. Hepatitis types A and B can be prevented by pre- and post-exposure active or passive immunisation. There is still some uncertainty about appropriate target groups for pre-exposure vaccination, particularly against hepatitis A. (+info)
Septic shock due to Helicobacter fennelliae in a non-human immunodeficiency virus-infected heterosexual patient.
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Helicobacter fennelliae (formerly Campylobacter fennelliae) has been reported to cause bacteremia in homosexual men with or without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. We report here a 48-year-old, non-HIV-infected, heterosexual man with diabetes mellitus and cirrhosis of the liver who developed bacteremia and septic shock due to H. fennelliae. The patient was treated successfully initially with intravenous ampicillin-sulbactam and ceftazidime, followed by ampicillin-sulbactam only. These agents were active in vitro against the isolate by E-test results. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of septic shock due to H. fennelliae in a non-HIV-infected, heterosexual, immunocompromised patient. (+info)
Behavioural risk factors for HIV/AIDS in a low-HIV prevalence Muslim nation: Bangladesh.
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A review of published and unpublished data indicates the prevalence of high-risk behaviours for HIV transmission in segments of the Bangladeshi population. These include casual unprotected sex, heterosexual as well as between males, prior to and after marriage. Intravenous drug use (IVDU) exists though illicit drugs are more commonly inhaled. There is a fear, however, that inhalers may turn to injecting drugs, as is common in neighbouring countries. The lack of public awareness of HIV/AIDS, and misconceptions about the disease, may contribute to continued high-risk behaviours by segments of the population and, thus, to the spread of HIV. Bangladesh's proximity to India and Myanmar (countries with high HIV endemicity and a rapidly growing number of cases) increases fears of an epidemic in Bangladesh. This proximity will only be a risk factor, however, if high-risk contacts occur between nationals of these countries. (+info)
Non-participation bias in unlinked anonymous HIV-prevalence surveys in England and Wales.
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The objective was to assess the potential bias in unlinked anonymous HIV-seroprevalence surveys from objections to specimens being included. Objection rates in seroprevalence surveys were examined. Statistically large clusters of objections were considered to be the result of health care worker behaviour, and were disregarded. Underlying objection rates were estimated from remaining data and compared to seroprevalence. Overall objection rates approached or exceeded seroprevalence in many participating centres. However, underlying objection rates declined with time while prevalences were generally unchanging. Also, underlying rates correlated poorly with observed seroprevalences. Findings were therefore consistent with processes producing the clusters of objections and underlying objection rates independently of serostatus of individuals. Although national seroprevalence estimates produced by the surveys are reasonably free from objection bias, regional seroprevalence estimates outside London remain vulnerable to bias as a result of some centres returning data whose quality cannot be guaranteed. (+info)
High rates of transmission of subtype E human immunodeficiency virus type 1 among heterosexual couples in Northern Thailand: role of sexually transmitted diseases and immune compromise.
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The heterosexual transmission of subtype E human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection was evaluated in 467 couples in Thailand in whom the man was HIV-1 positive and the woman had no risk factors for HIV other than sex with her infected partner. At baseline, 216 (46.3%) of the 467 women were positive for HIV-1; prevalence of HIV among women was 52.2% when their male partners had CD4+ lymphocyte counts of <200 cells/microL, 45.9% in women whose partners had counts of 200-499 micro/L, and 39.2% in women whose partners had counts of >/=500/microL. Women were twice as likely to be HIV positive if their partners had a history of a sexually transmitted disease (STD); however, their HIV prevalence was 29% among couples who had no STD history. It appears that female partners of men infected with subtype E HIV-1 are at high risk of infection even when the man's CD4+ cell count is relatively high. A high rate of STDs may contribute significantly to this risk [corrected]. (+info)