[MoOrC1014] Sexually transmitted infection morbidity subsequent to HIV infection in Washington State: results of a surveillance registry matching project

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain — July 7-12, 2002

[TITLE:] Sexually transmitted infection morbidity subsequent to HIV infection in Washington State: results of a surveillance registry matching project

[AUTHOR(S):] M.R. Stenger¹, G. Djomand²

Int Conf AIDS. 2002 Jul 7-12;14:Abstract No. MoOrC1014

BACKGROUND: Increases in sexually transmitted infection (STI) morbidity among persons with HIV disease may reflect a trend toward higher-risk behaviors, especially among men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) in the United States. Mounting evidence for a measurably increased risk of HIV-transmission/acquisition in the presence of ulcerative and non-ulcerative bacterial STIs highlights the public health importance of integrating HIV and STI surveillance systems.

METHODS: Washington State STI and HIV/AIDS registries were matched using a probabilistic matching algorithm. Demographic, geographic and morbidity data from both registries were analyzed for significant trends of epidemiologic importance.

RESULTS: Surveillance records for 108,000 persons reported with a diagnosis of gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, NGU or initial herpes infection between 1992 and 2000 were matched against records for 13,376 persons reported with AIDS or HIV infection in Washington State. Seventy-two percent of STI episodes reported for HIV-infected persons during the study period occurred subsequent to HIV infection; multiple episodes of STIs were documented for 19% of individuals identified by the match. Gonorrhea was the most frequently observed STI occurring subsequent to HIV infection (49% of observed co-morbidity). MSM was the mode of exposure for 84.8% of persons with STI morbidity occurring subsequent to HIV infection.

CONCLUSIONS: Co-infection with STIs provides biologic documentation of ongoing sexual risk behaviors among a sub-set of persons with HIV infection. Ongoing surveillance for STIs among this population is warranted as a direct measure of potentially resurgent HIV transmission risk.

Presenting author: Mark Stenger

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1Washington State Department of Health, Washington State Dept. of Health, P.O. Box 47838, Olympia, Washington, 98504-7838, United States.

2Washington State Dept. of Health, Seattle, Washington, United States.

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