RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Gonorrhoea and chlamydia testing rates of HIV-infected men: low despite guidelines
JF Sexually Transmitted Infections
JO Sex Transm Infect
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 481
OP 484
DO 10.1136/sti.2009.041541
VO 86
IS 6
A1 Stephen A Berry
A1 Khalil G Ghanem
A1 Kathleen R Page
A1 Chloe L Thio
A1 Richard D Moore
A1 Kelly A Gebo
YR 2010
UL http://sti.bmj.com/content/86/6/481.abstract
AB Objectives Screening HIV-infected men for gonorrhoea (GC) and chlamydia (CT) may decrease HIV transmission and reduce the incidence of pelvic inflammatory disease in female partners. This study determined GC/CT testing rates in a clinical HIV cohort before and after 2003 when the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines for GC/CT screening.Methods First GC/CT testing episodes were identified for all men enrolling in a Baltimore HIV clinic from 1999 to 2007. Multivariate Cox and logistic regression were used to assess clinical and demographic factors associated with being tested and with having a positive result.Results Among 1110 men, the rate of GC/CT testing upon clinic enrollment increased from 4.0% prior to 2003 to 16.5% afterwards, and the rate of ever being tested increased from 34.2% to 49.1% (p<0.001 for both comparisons). Among men with same sex contact, 10% of first testing episodes included extragenital sites. Among the 342 men ever-tested, 5.2% had positive results on first testing. Predictors of testing included enrolling after 2003, younger age, frequent visits and black race. Predictors of a positive test result included CD4 count ≥200 cells/mm3 and younger age.Conclusions GC/CT testing rates among men increased substantially after the 2003 guidelines but remain low. Disseminating existing evidence for GC/CT screening and promoting operational interventions to facilitate it are warranted.