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8th Annual Conference Of The British HIV Association [BHIVA]19 – 21 April 2002, University of York, York |
[AUTHOR(S):] D Grover, J McSorley, SG Edwards, B George, S Smith, T Sadiq, P French, IG Williams
Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Camden and Islington CS NHS Trust, and Department of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London
BHIVA Conf 2002 Apr 19-21;8:O5
BACKGROUND: HIV treatment centres may play a key role in HIV prevention by providing improved screening and treatment of STIs. We provide a nurse-led STI screening and treatment service for patients attending for their routine HIV care.
OBJECTIVES: To describe the pattern of acute STIs and factors associated with diagnosis in HIV positive gay men attending a HIV treatment centre through January–December 2001.
RESULTS: Of 1241 gay men attending for routine HIV care, 446 (36%) underwent at least one STI screen. Of these 143 (32%) had two or more (range 2–6) screens, a total of 677. 94/446 (21%) were diagnosed with 158 episodes of an acute STI (excluding syphilis): gonorrhoea 83 (52%), chlamydia 31 (20%), non-specific urethritis 44 (28%). The median CD4 count and plasma viral load (VL) of the 94 men were 495 cells/µL (range 80–1210) and 6,500 copies/mL (range <50–3,413,800) respectively. 68/94 (72%) of the men with any STI and 24/34 (70%) with rectal gonorrhoea had detectable plasma VLs at the time of diagnosis. 42 episodes of infectious syphilis were also identified in 41 gay men attending for their routine HIV care.
CONCLUSIONS: More than 1/3 of all HIV-positive gay men attending for routine care underwent an STI screen. A high proportion (1/5) of those screened were diagnosed with an acute STI, of whom the majority had a detectable plasma viral load at the time of diagnosis. There is a need to develop and enhance targeted STI and sexual health services in HIV treatment centres.
PRESENTING AUTHOR: J McSorley
020419
O5
Copyright © 2002 - British HIV Association (BHIVA) Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the BHIVA Organising Secretariat 1 Mountview Court, 310 Friern Barnet Lane, London N20 0LD