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BMC Infect Dis 2022 Jun 26;22(1):574. Epub 2022 Jun 26.

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.

Background: World Health Organization announced its goal of ending sexually transmitted infection (STI) epidemics by 2030. To provide a reference for tailored prevention strategies, we analyzed trends and differences in STIs by geographical regions and age groups from 1990 to 2019.

Methods: Annual number of new infections and age-standardized incidence rates (ASRs) of syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, and genital herpes were recorded from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease study. Read More

J Antimicrob Chemother 2022 Jun 21. Epub 2022 Jun 21.

National Institute for Health and Care Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.

Objectives: To explore the literature comparing the pharmacokinetic and clinical outcomes from adding probenecid to oral β-lactams.

Methods: Medline and EMBASE were searched from inception to December 2021 for all English language studies comparing the addition of probenecid (intervention) with an oral β-lactam [flucloxacillin, penicillin V, amoxicillin (± clavulanate), cefalexin, cefuroxime axetil] alone (comparator). ROBINS-I and ROB-2 tools were used. Read More

Med Clin (Barc) 2022 Jun 17. Epub 2022 Jun 17.

Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain; Infectious Diseases Research Group, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain; Medicine Department, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.

Background: The emergence of chemsex has raised several concerns about gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men's (GBMSM) health. In this study we aim to analyze illicit drugs and chemsex use, sexual behavior and sexually transmitted infections (STI) in GBMSM who attended to a sexual health clinic and to explore any potential association between drug use and STI.

Methods: We conducted an observational study between January and June 2019 among GBMSM population attending to a STI clinic in Barcelona, Spain. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2022 Jun 20;22(1):561. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

Department of Global Health and Infection, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK.

Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are predominantly managed by syndromic management. However, most STIs are asymptomatic. These untreated STIs cause individual morbidity, and lead to high STI prevalences. Read More

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2022 Jun 20;22(1):501. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

NHC Key Lab. of Reproduction Regulation, Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Fudan University, 400020, Shanghai, China.

Background: Reproductive tract infections can cause serious adverse outcomes for pregnant women such as spontaneous abortion and preterm birth. However, it is unclear whether maternal reproductive tract infection before pregnancy would also be related to any adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study aims to investigate the association of maternal preconception reproductive tract infections with subsequent adverse pregnancy outcomes. Read More

Sex Transm Dis 2022 Jun 17. Epub 2022 Jun 17.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.

Background: Initial and follow-up sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV testing is recommended when taking HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP). We assessed STI services before and after PrEP initiation among persons aged ≥18 years.

Methods: We conducted this retrospective cohort study at an US integrated healthcare delivery system. Read More

Euro Surveill 2022 Jun;27(24)

Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.

We describe a gonorrhoea case with ceftriaxone plus high-level azithromycin resistance. In April 2022, an Austrian heterosexual male was diagnosed with gonorrhoea after sexual intercourse with a female sex worker in Cambodia. Recommended treatment with ceftriaxone (1 g) plus azithromycin (1. Read More

Front Public Health 2022 31;10:842644. Epub 2022 May 31.

National Health Commission Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.

Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We sought to describe patterns of sexually transmitted co-infections and explore factors associated with increased acquisition of STIs among MSM.

Methods: We enrolled MSM in Shenyang, China, between July and December 2020 to test for four STIs, including human papillomavirus (HPV), (CT), (NG), and (TP). Read More

Trials 2022 Jun 16;23(1):495. Epub 2022 Jun 16.

Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Box 359931, 325 Ninth Ave, WA, 98104, Seattle, USA.

Background: Women in Africa face disproportionate risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition, accounting for more than half of new infections in Africa and similarly face a disproportionate burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Very high STI prevalence is being observed globally, especially among people taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention. Doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (dPEP) has been proposed as an STI prevention strategy to reduce chlamydia, syphilis, and possibly gonorrhea, and trials are ongoing among cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women who are taking PrEP in high-income settings. Read More

PLoS One 2022 15;17(6):e0268441. Epub 2022 Jun 15.

Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia.

Background: Trachoma is the leading infectious disease that leads to blindness worldwide, especially in developing countries. Though Ethiopia had targeted a trachoma elimination program by 2020, the problem worsens, particularly in the Amhara Region. Even though sustained intervention measures are undertaken across the region, it is unclear why trachoma is still a significant public health problem. Read More

J Med Microbiol 2022 Jun;71(6)

Department of Urology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0017, Japan.

Azithromycin (AZM) is a therapeutic drug for sexually transmitted infections and is used for when first- and second-line drugs are not available. Recently, the susceptibility of against AZM has been decreasing worldwide. Azithromycin-resistance (AZM-R) rates among in Japan are increasing, and the gene mutations and epidemiological characteristics of AZM-R in have not been fully investigated. Read More

Infez Med 2022 1;30(2):247-253. Epub 2022 Jun 1.

Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.

Bacterial vaginosis is a condition caused by changes in the vaginal microbial ecosystem and increases the risk of preterm delivery, premature rupture of membranes, endometritis, and weight loss of the baby. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of gonococcal and non-gonococcal genital infections in women referred to clinics in Ilam, Iran. Two swab samples were taken from each patient using a sterile swab, one swab was placed in a THB medium for the culture of and the other in PBS buffer for PCR. Read More

Ann Dermatol Venereol 2022 Jun 8. Epub 2022 Jun 8.

Department of Dermatology, Genital Diseases and STIs unit, Saint-Louis Hospital, 1, avenue Claude Vellefaux, 75010 Paris, France.

Objective: Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) infection accounts for 10-35% of non-gonococcal non-chlamydial (NGNC) urethritis. However, given that most people infected with MG do not develop symptoms and that antimicrobial resistance is increasing worldwide, there is no evidence of any benefits of screening asymptomatic individuals. We conducted this study to describe MG screening practices and outcomes at a French Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) center in which MG testing was performed selectively and multiplex assays were not carried out [i. Read More

Microbiol Spectr 2022 Jun 9:e0275721. Epub 2022 Jun 9.

Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safetygrid.414107.7, Vienna, Austria.

Due to increasing rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Neisseria gonorrhoeae, alternative treatments should be considered. To assess rifampicin's potential as a gonorrhea treatment, we used mutations to estimate rifampicin resistance in Austrian N. gonorrhoeae isolates. Read More

J Migr Health 2022 29;6:100116. Epub 2022 May 29.

Libertas Center, Elmhurst Hospital, 79-01 Broadway, Queens, NY, USA.

Introduction: Over 25,000 individuals are granted asylum status in the United States annually. Gender-based violence (GBV) has historically been supported as a claim for persecution to apply for asylum. In women, GBV is a known risk factor for sexually transmitted infections, poor mental health, and worse perinatal outcomes. Read More

Sex Transm Dis 2022 Jun 8. Epub 2022 Jun 8.

GlaxoSmithKline plc., Orchard Park, New York, USA.

Background: Active-controlled non-inferiority studies are used to investigate novel agents for uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhea (uUGC) as placebo-controlled trials are unethical. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis were conducted to estimate the ceftriaxone and proxy-for-placebo microbiological treatment effect and determine an appropriate non-inferiority margin for phase 3 trials.

Methods: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. Read More

Sex Transm Dis 2022 Jun 8. Epub 2022 Jun 8.

University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA.

Background: Community solidarity is increasingly important in public health. However, few studies have examined solidarity in relation to health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to develop a psychometric tool to measure solidarity among Chinese men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) and assess whether community solidarity relates to differences in STI testing. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2022 Jun 7;22(1):524. Epub 2022 Jun 7.

UK Health Security Agency, London, UK.

Background: The European Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (Euro-GASP) performs annual sentinel surveillance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae susceptibility to therapeutically relevant antimicrobials across the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA). We present the Euro-GASP results from 2019 (26 countries), linked to patient epidemiological data, and compared with data from previous years.

Methods: Agar dilution and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) gradient strip methodologies were used to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility (using EUCAST clinical breakpoints, where available) of 3239 N. Read More

Med Res Rev 2022 Jun 6. Epub 2022 Jun 6.

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. John's University, New York City, New York, USA.

Medicinal plants are considered to be a critical source of novel compounds and pharmacophores. The genus Ardisia, consisting of approximately 500 species, is the largest genus in the Myrsinaceae family. Ardisia species are widely distributed throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world and have been used for the treatment of cancer, hypertension, irregular menstruation, gonorrhea, diarrhea and postnatal syndromes, among others. Read More

Front Reprod Health 2021 Jul 16;3. Epub 2021 Jul 16.

University of Zimbabwe Clinical Trials Research Centre, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Harare, Zimbabwe.

Introduction: Whether intramuscular depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA-IM) and norethisterone enanthate (NET-EN) have a differential impact on the incidence of sexually transmitted infection (STI) remains unclear. In the Vaginal and Oral Interventions to Control the Epidemic (VOICE) trial, HIV-1 acquisition was higher for DMPA-IM users vs. NET-EN users. Read More

Lancet Microbe 2022 Jun 10;3(6):e452-e463. Epub 2022 May 10.

WHO Collaborating Centre for Gonorrhoea and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden; Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK. Electronic address:

Background: Genomic surveillance using quality-assured whole-genome sequencing (WGS) together with epidemiological and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) data is essential to characterise the circulating Neisseria gonorrhoeae lineages and their association to patient groups (defined by demographic and epidemiological factors). In 2013, the European gonococcal population was characterised genomically for the first time. We describe the European gonococcal population in 2018 and identify emerging or vanishing lineages associated with AMR and epidemiological characteristics of patients, to elucidate recent changes in AMR and gonorrhoea epidemiology in Europe. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2022 Jun 4;22(1):519. Epub 2022 Jun 4.

Shanghai Skin Disease Clinical College of Anhui Medical University, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Shanghai, 200050, People's Republic of China.

Background: COVID-19 and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) are two very important diseases. However, relevant researches about how COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on the epidemiological trend of STDs are limited in China. This study aimed to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on STDs in China and proposed relevant recommendations to be used in bettering health. Read More

Clin Infect Dis 2022 Jun 1. Epub 2022 Jun 1.

Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA, USA.

Background: Neisseria gonorrhoeae is acquiring increasing resistance to available oral antibiotics, and current screening and treatment approaches have not decreased gonorrhea incidence. Although a gonorrhea-specific vaccine does not exist, N. gonorrhoeae shares much of its genome with Neisseria meningitidis, notably critical antigenic determinants including outer membrane vesicles (OMV). Read More

Pediatr Emerg Care 2022 Jun 21;38(6):247-252. Epub 2022 Feb 21.

From the Department of Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital.

Objective: This study aimed to describe trends in the utilization of nucleic acid amplification (NAAT) testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia in US pediatric emergency departments. Nucleic acid amplification has been recommended over genital culture by the American Academy of Pediatrics and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for children evaluated for sexual abuse.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter study of children aged 12 months to 11 years tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia between 2004 and 2018 at 22 hospitals in the Pediatric Health Information System. Read More

CMAJ 2022 May;194(21):E740

Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man.

Microorganisms 2022 Apr 28;10(5). Epub 2022 Apr 28.

Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA.

is the causative agent of the sexually transmitted infection (STI) gonorrhea, with an estimated 87 million annual cases worldwide. predominantly colonizes the male and female genital tract (FGT). In the FGT, confronts fluctuating levels of nutrients and oxidative and non-oxidative antimicrobial defenses of the immune system, as well as the resident microbiome. Read More

Nat Rev Dis Primers 2022 05 26;8(1):33. Epub 2022 May 26.

Nat Rev Dis Primers 2022 05 26;8(1):32. Epub 2022 May 26.

Programme National de la Santé Oculaire, Ministère de la Santé, Bamako, Mali.

Trachoma is a neglected tropical disease caused by infection with conjunctival strains of Chlamydia trachomatis. It can result in blindness. Pathophysiologically, trachoma is a disease complex composed of two linked chronic processes: a recurrent, generally subclinical infectious-inflammatory disease that mostly affects children, and a non-communicable, cicatricial and, owing to trichiasis, eventually blinding disease that supervenes in some individuals later in life. Read More

Am J Public Health 2022 Jul 26;112(7):985-989. Epub 2022 May 26.

Johan H. Melendez, Tong Yu, Sarah L. Williford, Gretchen S. Armington, Barbara Silver, Charlotte A. Gaydos, and Yukari C. Manabe are with the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Elizabeth A. Gilliams and Matthew M. Hamill are with the Baltimore City Health Department, Baltimore, MD. Adam Huebner is with the Office of Global AIDS Coordination, US Peace Corps, Washington, DC.

The Baltimore City Health Department (Baltimore, MD) promoted IWantTheKit for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HIV testing to city residents and clinic patients when COVID-19 restricted in-person clinic services. From April to October 2020, monthly online IWantTheKit orders increased by 645%. A high prevalence of chlamydia and gonorrhea was detected, and 96% of users who tested positive for chlamydia and gonorrhea were successfully contacted for treatment. Read More