In 2019, an estimated 2.55 million new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were reported in the US, 1 with a projected direct medical cost of approximately $1.1 billion for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis in 2018. 2 In 2018, there were approximately 67.6 million prevalent infections in the US, suggesting that an estimated 1 in 5 adults had an STI. 3 People with STIs are at greater risk of transmitting HIV to others. Among people without HIV, STIs increase rates of HIV acquistion. 4,5 STIs also increase rates of infertility, chronic pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, fetal death, and congenital and neonatal infections. [6][7][8][9] This review summarizes current evidence regarding the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, Mycoplasma genitalium, trichomoniasis, and genital herpes. For the purposes of clarity, in this article, the terms male and female refer to those assigned male or female at birth, respectively (see eTable 1 in the Supplement for additional clinician resources). MethodsWe searched PubMed and Cochrane databases using Medical Subject Headings for English-language studies of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of gonorrhea, chlamydia (including lymphogranuloma venereum), syphilis, Mycoplasma genitalium, trichomoniasis, and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) between October 1, 2010, and October 31, 2021. We manually searched the references of selected articles for additional relevant studies (including older studies). Randomized clinical trials, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and national and international clinical practice guidelines were prioritized for inclusion. Of 1896 reports identified, 81 were included, consisting of 8 randomized trials, 7 meta-analyses, 27 systematic reviews, 5 clinical practice guidelines, 28 observational studies, 3 modeling studies, and 3 retrospective case series. IMPORTANCE Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the US had a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in 2018. This review provides an update on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, Mycoplasma genitalium, trichomoniasis, and genital herpes.OBSERVATIONS From 2015 to 2019, the rates of gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis increased in the US; from 1999 to 2016, while the rates of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2 declined. Populations with higher rates of STIs include people younger than 25 years, sexual and gender minorities such as men and transgender women who have sex with men, and racial and ethnic minorities such as Black and Latinx people. Approximately 70% of infections with HSV and trichomoniasis and 53% to 100% of extragenital gonorrhea and chlamydia infections are asymptomatic or associated with few symptoms. STIs are associated with HIV acquisition and transmission and are the leading cause of tubal factor infertility in women. Nucleic acid amplification tests have high sensitivities (86.1%-100%) and specificities (97.1%-100%) for the diagnosis of gonorrhea, chlamydia,...

Purpose of Review A diverse array of microbes colonizes the human intestine. In this review we seek to outline the current state of knowledge on what characterizes a “healthy” or “normal” intestinal microbiome, what factors modify the intestinal microbiome in the healthy state and how the intestinal microbiome affects normal host physiology Recent Findings What constitutes a “normal” or “healthy” intestinal microbiome is an area of active research, but key characteristics may include diversity, richness and a microbial community’s resilience and ability to resist change. A number of factors, including age, the host immune system, host genetics, diet and antibiotic use appear to modify the intestinal microbiome in the normal state. New research shows that the microbiome likely plays a critical role in the healthy human immune system and metabolism. Summary It is clear that there is a complicated bi-directional relationship between the intestinal microbiota and host which is vital to health. An enhanced understanding of this relationship will be critical not only to maximize and maintain human health but also to shape our understanding of disease and to foster new therapeutic approaches.

Background Whether human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection impacts gut microbial α-diversity is controversial. We reanalyzed raw 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequences and metadata from published studies to examine α-diversity measures between HIV-uninfected (HIV–) and HIV-infected (HIV+) individuals. Methods We conducted a systematic review and individual level meta-analysis by searching Embase, Medline, and Scopus for original research studies (inception to 31 December 2017). Included studies reported 16S rRNA gene sequences of fecal samples from HIV+ patients. Raw sequence reads and metadata were obtained from public databases or from study authors. Raw reads were processed through standardized pipelines with use of a high-resolution taxonomic classifier. The χ2 test, paired t tests, and generalized linear mixed models were used to relate α-diversity measures and clinical metadata. Results Twenty-two studies were identified with 17 datasets available for analysis, yielding 1032 samples (311 HIV–, 721 HIV+). HIV status was associated with a decrease in measures of α-diversity (P < .001). However, in stratified analysis, HIV status was associated with decreased α-diversity only in women and in men who have sex with women (MSW) but not in men who have sex with men (MSM). In analyses limited to women and MSW, controlling for HIV status, women displayed increased α-diversity compared with MSW. Conclusions Our study suggests that HIV status, sexual risk category, and gender impact gut microbial community α-diversity. Future studies should consider MSM status in gut microbiome analyses.