Sexually transmitted infections among HIV-1-discordant couples.
INTRODUCTION:More new HIV-1 infections occur within stable HIV-1-discordant couples than in any other group in Africa, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) may increase transmission risk among discordant couples, accounting for a large proportion of new HIV-1 infections. Understanding correlat...
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doaj-167e98bfc0bd4f278ea8fe1909cad4122020-11-25T01:48:05ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032009-12-01412e827610.1371/journal.pone.0008276Sexually transmitted infections among HIV-1-discordant couples.Brandon L GuthrieJames N KiarieSusan MorrisonGrace C John-StewartJohn KinuthiaWilliam L H WhittingtonCarey FarquharINTRODUCTION:More new HIV-1 infections occur within stable HIV-1-discordant couples than in any other group in Africa, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) may increase transmission risk among discordant couples, accounting for a large proportion of new HIV-1 infections. Understanding correlates of STIs among discordant couples will aid in optimizing interventions to prevent HIV-1 transmission in these couples. METHODS:HIV-1-discordant couples in which HIV-1-infected partners were HSV-2-seropositive were tested for syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis, and HIV-1-uninfected partners were tested for HSV-2. We assessed sociodemographic, behavioral, and biological correlates of a current STI. RESULTS:Of 416 couples enrolled, 16% were affected by a treatable STI, and among these both partners were infected in 17% of couples. A treatable STI was found in 46 (11%) females and 30 (7%) males. The most prevalent infections were trichomoniasis (5.9%) and syphilis (2.6%). Participants were 5.9-fold more likely to have an STI if their partner had an STI (P<0.01), and STIs were more common among those reporting any unprotected sex (OR = 2.43; P<0.01) and those with low education (OR = 3.00; P<0.01). Among HIV-1-uninfected participants with an HSV-2-seropositive partner, females were significantly more likely to be HSV-2-seropositive than males (78% versus 50%, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS:Treatable STIs were common among HIV-1-discordant couples and the majority of couples affected by an STI were discordant for the STI, with relatively high HSV-2 discordance. Awareness of STI correlates and treatment of both partners may reduce HIV-1 transmission. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00194519.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2788224?pdf=render |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Brandon L Guthrie James N Kiarie Susan Morrison Grace C John-Stewart John Kinuthia William L H Whittington Carey Farquhar |
spellingShingle |
Brandon L Guthrie James N Kiarie Susan Morrison Grace C John-Stewart John Kinuthia William L H Whittington Carey Farquhar Sexually transmitted infections among HIV-1-discordant couples. PLoS ONE |
author_facet |
Brandon L Guthrie James N Kiarie Susan Morrison Grace C John-Stewart John Kinuthia William L H Whittington Carey Farquhar |
author_sort |
Brandon L Guthrie |
title |
Sexually transmitted infections among HIV-1-discordant couples. |
title_short |
Sexually transmitted infections among HIV-1-discordant couples. |
title_full |
Sexually transmitted infections among HIV-1-discordant couples. |
title_fullStr |
Sexually transmitted infections among HIV-1-discordant couples. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Sexually transmitted infections among HIV-1-discordant couples. |
title_sort |
sexually transmitted infections among hiv-1-discordant couples. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
series |
PLoS ONE |
issn |
1932-6203 |
publishDate |
2009-12-01 |
description |
INTRODUCTION:More new HIV-1 infections occur within stable HIV-1-discordant couples than in any other group in Africa, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) may increase transmission risk among discordant couples, accounting for a large proportion of new HIV-1 infections. Understanding correlates of STIs among discordant couples will aid in optimizing interventions to prevent HIV-1 transmission in these couples. METHODS:HIV-1-discordant couples in which HIV-1-infected partners were HSV-2-seropositive were tested for syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis, and HIV-1-uninfected partners were tested for HSV-2. We assessed sociodemographic, behavioral, and biological correlates of a current STI. RESULTS:Of 416 couples enrolled, 16% were affected by a treatable STI, and among these both partners were infected in 17% of couples. A treatable STI was found in 46 (11%) females and 30 (7%) males. The most prevalent infections were trichomoniasis (5.9%) and syphilis (2.6%). Participants were 5.9-fold more likely to have an STI if their partner had an STI (P<0.01), and STIs were more common among those reporting any unprotected sex (OR = 2.43; P<0.01) and those with low education (OR = 3.00; P<0.01). Among HIV-1-uninfected participants with an HSV-2-seropositive partner, females were significantly more likely to be HSV-2-seropositive than males (78% versus 50%, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS:Treatable STIs were common among HIV-1-discordant couples and the majority of couples affected by an STI were discordant for the STI, with relatively high HSV-2 discordance. Awareness of STI correlates and treatment of both partners may reduce HIV-1 transmission. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00194519. |
url |
http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2788224?pdf=render |
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