Faculty Collaboration Database

Sexually Transmitted Infections Diagnosed Among Sexual and Gender Minority Communities During the First 11 Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Midwest and Southern Cities in the United States. Sex Transm Dis 2022 Oct 01;49(10):687-694

Date

07/21/2022

Pubmed ID

35858473

Pubmed Central ID

PMC9477706

DOI

10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001681

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85138454981 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected sexual health services. Given the burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) on sexual and gender minorities (SGMs), we estimated incidence of self-reported STI diagnoses and factors associated with STI diagnoses among SGMs during the pandemic's first year.

METHODS: A cohort of 426 SGM persons, 25 years or older, recruited in Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Minneapolis, and Houston completed 5 online surveys from April 2020 to February 2021. Persons self-reported on each survey all health care provider STI diagnoses. Kaplan-Meier was used to estimate the cumulative risk of STI diagnoses, stratified by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status. Factors associated with STI diagnoses were assessed with a longitudinal negative binomial regression.

RESULTS: Median age was 37 years, and 27.0% were persons living with HIV (PLH). Participants reported 63 STIs for a cumulative incidence for PLH and HIV-negative persons of 0.19 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.13-0.29) and 0.12 (95% CI, 0.09-0.17), respectively. Regardless of HIV, a younger age and changes in health care use were associated with STI diagnoses. Among HIV-negative persons, the rate of STI diagnoses was higher in Houston than the Midwest cities (adjusted relative risk, 2.37; 95% CI, 1.08-5.20). Among PLH, a decrease in health care use was also associated with STI diagnoses (adjusted relative risk, 3.53; 95% CI, 1.01-12.32 vs no change in health care services), as was Hispanic ethnicity and using a dating app to meet a sex partner.

CONCLUSIONS: Factors associated with STI diagnoses during the COVID-19 pandemic generally reflected factors associated with STI incidence before the pandemic like geography, HIV, age, and ethnicity.

Author List

Nyitray AG, Quinn KG, John SA, Walsh JL, Schim van der Loeff MF, Wu R, Eastwood D, McAuliffe TL

Authors

Steven A. John PhD Associate Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Timothy L. McAuliffe PhD Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Alan Nyitray PhD Associate Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Katherine Quinn PhD Associate Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Jennifer L. Walsh PhD Associate Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Cities
HIV Infections
Homosexuality, Male
Humans
Male
Pandemics
Sexual Behavior
Sexual and Gender Minorities
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
United States