Selected characteristics and behaviour in the 6 months prior to inclusion associated with early syphilis, by univariate analysis
| Cases (n=53), n (%) | Controls (n=90), n (%) | OR (95% CI)* | p Value | |
| Educational attainment | ||||
| College or university | 26 (49.1) | 65 (72.2) | Ref. | |
| High school and below | 27 (50.9) | 25 (27.8) | 2.63 (1.26 to 5.56) | 0.009 |
| Professional status | ||||
| Employed | 36 (67.9) | 61 (67.8) | Ref. | |
| Unemployed | 14 (26.4) | 21 (23.3) | 1.32 (0.57 to 3.06) | 0.52 |
| Student | 3 (5.7) | 8 (8.9) | 0.84 (0.20 to 3.62) | 0.81 |
| Matrimonial status | ||||
| Single | 36 (67.9) | 62 (68.9) | Ref. | |
| Married or in a free union | 8 (15.1) | 15 (16.7) | 0.74 (0.27 to 0.50) | 0.55 |
| Other | 9 (17.0) | 13 (14.4) | 1.15 (0.45 to 2.94) | 0.78 |
| Living alone | 21 (39.6) | 43 (47.8) | Ref. | |
| Living with a man | 22 (41.5) | 30 (33.3) | 1.50 (0.68 to 3.34) | 0.32 |
| Other | 10 (18.9) | 17 (18.9) | 1.46 (0.53 to 3.98) | 0.47 |
| Venues used to meet sex partners in the prior 6 months† | ||||
| Venues without sex | 4 (7.5) | 16 (17.8) | Ref. | 0.05 |
| Venues with sex | 13 (24.5) | 27 (30.0) | 1.51 (0.40 to 5.75) | |
| Internet venues | 33 (62.2) | 39 (43.3) | 5.17 (1.33 to 20.11) | |
| Venue location‡ | ||||
| France | 12 (24.0) | 28 (34.1) | Ref. | 0.37 |
| Belgium | 8 (16.0) | 9 (11.0) | 2.18 (0.65 to 7.32) | |
| Other countries | 3 (6.0) | 3 (3.7) | 2.31 (0.36 to 14.76) | |
| Missing data | 27 (54.0) | 42 (51.2) | ||
| Recreational drug intake before or during sex in the prior 6 months§ (vs no intake) | ||||
| Alcohol | 27 (50.9) | 59 (65.6) | 0.36 (0.25 to 0.53) | <0.0001 |
| Poppers | 28 (52.8) | 27 (30.0) | 2.17 (1.11 to 4.26) | 0.02 |
| Erectile dysfunction drugs | 11 (20.8) | 5 (5.6) | 1.94 (0.96 to 13.18) | 0.06 |
| Cannabis | 13 (24.5) | 15 (16.7) | 2.07 (0.76 to 5.65) | 0.15 |
| Cocaine | 5 (9.4) | 9 (10.0) | 0.94 (0.29 to 3.04) | 0.92 |
| Sex behaviour with CP in the prior 6 months (vs not to practice) | ||||
| CP | 49 (92.4) | 67 (74.4) | 5.06 (1.47 to 17.37) | 0.01 |
| Unprotected insertive oral sex | 45 (84.1) | 63 (70.0) | 2.30 (0.96 to 5.52) | 0.06 |
| Unprotected receptive oral sex | 45 (84.5) | 46 (61.8) | 3.32 (1.35 to 8.17) | 0.009 |
| Anal sex¶, always using a condom | 13 (24.5) | 24 (26.7) | 2.02 (0.74 to 5.55) | 0.06 |
| Unprotected anal sex | 32 (60.4) | 37 (41.1) | 3.04 (1.21 to 7.64) | |
| Anal sex toys | 20 (37.7) | 16 (17.6) | 2.88 (1.26 to 6.61) | 0.01 |
↵* ORs and 95% CIs from univariate conditional logistic regression models, unless otherwise indicated.
↵† Three cases (5.7%) and eight controls (8.9%) frequented no venues during the prior 6 months (OR=2.04, 95% CI 0.30 to 13.80; p=0.46).
↵‡ Logistic regression model adjusted for age group and HIV serostatus. The high proportion of missing data did not enable imputations or conditional logistic regression analysis.
↵§ Drugs consumed by ≥10% of the study population.
↵¶ Anal sex, regardless of insertive or receptive positioning.
CP, casual partners.