Specifics of Epidemiological Anamnesis of Sexually Transmitted Diseases in High-Risk Groups

Abstract

Introduction: Sexually transmitted infections induce inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs in women, infertility, infant and maternal mortality, and remain a global health challenge. Current studies are focused on examination and treatment of risk groups, including men who have sex with men, among whom the highest incidence rates of syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and other socially significant infections are usually registered. Objective: To establish epidemiological features of the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases in men who have sex with men as representatives of a high-risk group. Material and methods: Snowball sampling was used in our questionnaire-based survey that involved 136 men of reproductive age (18 to 49 years). The case study group included 79 men who have sex with men and the control group consisted of 57 heterosexual men. For statistical data analysis, we used Pearson’s chi-squared test and Fisher’s exact test. Results and discussion: The median age of the cases was 32 years and 25.3 % of them noted having bisexual relationships. Compared to the controls, the proportion of men who reported having more than 10 sexual partners over the previous year was statistically higher among the men having sex with other men (63.3 %). 81.0 % of the cases and 57.9 % of the controls reported having casual sexual relations. 50 % of the men who have sex with men had one or more sexually transmitted infections in the medical history, while this percentage was significantly lower in the controls. Conclusion: Men who have sex with men are typical representatives of groups at risk of sexually transmitted diseases due to numerous sexual partners and inherent risky sexual behavior.