Prevalence ofNeisseria gonorrhoeaeandChlamydia trachomatisin men having sex with men in Port-au-Prince, Haiti: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

ObjectivesOver the last 15 years, the prevalence of HIV in Haiti has stabilised to around 2.0%. However, key populations remain at higher risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The prevalence of HIV is 12.9% among men having sex with men (MSM). There is limited information about the prevalence of other STI in the Haitian population in general and even less among key populations. We assessed the burden ofChlamydia trachomatis(CT) andNeisseria gonorrhoeae(NG) and risk factors for infections among MSM in Haiti.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted. MSM were recruited from seven health facilities in Port-au-Prince. All samples were tested by nucleic acid amplification test, using GeneXpert. A survey was administered to the participants to collect socio-demographic, clinical and risk behaviour data.ResultsA total of 216 MSM were recruited in the study. The prevalence rates of CT and NG were 11.1% and 16.2%, respectively. CT NG co-infections were found in 10/216 (4.6%) of the participants. There were 39 MSM with rectal STI compared with 17 with genital infections. Participants between 18–24 and 30–34 years old were significantly more likely to be infected with NG than those aged 35 years or older (OR: 22.96, 95% CI: 2.79 to 188.5; OR: 15.1, 95% CI: 1.68 to 135.4, respectively). Participants who never attended school or had some primary education were significantly more likely to be infected with NG than those with secondary education or higher (OR: 3.38, 95% CI: 1.26 to 9.07). People tested negative for HIV were significantly more likely to be infected with CT than people living with HIV/AIDS (OR: 3.91, 95% CI: 1.37 to 11.2).ConclusionsPeriodic risk assessment and testing for STI should be offered in Haiti as part of a comprehensive strategy to improve the sexual health of key populations.

Infezioni in Medicina

“…Taking into account the site of sampling (Rectal), the prevalence of CT/NG among MSMs was comparable to that found amongst the same group in Peru and Haiti [32,33].…”

Prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis infections among adolescent men who have sex with men and transgender women in Salvador, Northeast Brazil

“…A low level of education is an essential risk factor for acquiring NG infections, corroborating the findings of this study. A study carried out with adult MSM in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, found an association between the level of education and NG infection (OR = 3.38) [ 29 ]. Other studies have demonstrated an association between social vulnerability factors and the adolescent acquisition of STIs, including NG and CT [ 30 , 31 ].…”

High prevalence of sexually transmitted infections and risk factors among HIV-positive individuals in Yunnan, China

“…The prevalence of CT that was detected in the two groups of participants (3.4% vs. 3.0%) was larger than that of 0.9% that was identified in WLHA [ 20 ], while it was smaller than that of 11.1% in MSM in Port-au-Prince [ 31 ]. The prevalence of NG identified in our study (3.4% vs. 0.5%) was lower than that of 5.4% that was observed in WLHA [ 20 ] and that of 7.2% in HIV-positive MSM in Birmingham [ 32 ].…”