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Prevalence of Curable Sexually Transmitted Infections in a Population-Representative Sample of Young Adults in a High HIV Incidence Area in South Africa

Jarolimova, Jana; Chidumwa, Glory; Chimbindi, Natsayi; Okesola, Nonhlanhla; Dreyer, Jaco; Smit, Theresa; Seeley, Janet; ... Isisekelo Research Group; + view all (2023) Prevalence of Curable Sexually Transmitted Infections in a Population-Representative Sample of Young Adults in a High HIV Incidence Area in South Africa. Sexually Transmitted Diseases , 50 (12) pp. 796-803. 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001871. Green open access

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Recent population-representative estimates of sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevalence in high HIV burden areas in southern Africa are limited. We estimated the prevalence and associated factors of 3 STIs among adolescents and young adults (AYA) in rural South Africa. METHODS: Between March 2020 and May 2021, a population-representative sample of AYA aged 16 to 29 years were randomly selected from a Health and Demographic Surveillance Site in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, for a 2 × 2 factorial randomized controlled trial. Participants in 2 intervention arms were offered baseline testing for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis using GeneXpert. Prevalence estimates were weighted for participation bias, and logistic regression models were used to assess factors associated with STIs. RESULTS: Of 2323 eligible AYA, 1743 (75%) enrolled in the trial. Among 863 eligible for STI testing, 814 (94%) provided specimens (median age of 21.8 years, 52% female, and 71% residing in rural areas). Population-weighted prevalence estimates were 5.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.2%-5.8%) for gonorrhea, 17.9% (16.5%-19.3%) for chlamydia, 5.4% (4.6%-6.3%) for trichomoniasis, and 23.7% (22.2%-25.3%) for any STI. In multivariable models, female sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.24; 95% CI, 1.48-3.09) and urban/periurban (vs. rural) residence (aOR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.02-2.15) were associated with STIs; recent migration was associated with lower odds of STI (aOR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.15-0.89). Among those with an STI, 53 (31.0%) were treated within 7 days; median time to treatment was 11 days (interquartile range, 6-77 days). CONCLUSIONS: We identified a high prevalence of curable STIs among AYA in rural South Africa. Improved access to STI testing to enable etiologic diagnosis and rapid treatment is needed.

Type: Article
Title: Prevalence of Curable Sexually Transmitted Infections in a Population-Representative Sample of Young Adults in a High HIV Incidence Area in South Africa
Location: United States
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001871
Publisher version: http://doi.org/10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001871
Language: English
Additional information: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CCBY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Keywords: Adolescent, Female, Young Adult, Humans, Adult, Male, HIV Infections, Gonorrhea, South Africa, Prevalence, Incidence, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Trichomonas Infections
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute for Global Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute for Global Health > Infection and Population Health
URI: https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10181419
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