title: Determinants of gonorrhoea infection among STD clinic attenders in Trinidad--I: sociodemographic factors, knowledge, risk perception and history of STD.
abstract: We determined the prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and describe sociodemographic factors, knowledge and sexually transmitted disease (STD) history associated with gonococcal infection among 991 STD clinic attenders in Trinidad, West Indies (WI). The prevalence of gonorrhoea was 25%. Predictors for gonorrhoea were: male gender (odds ratios [OR] 3.5), age 15-19 (OR 2.5) and 20-29 years (OR 2.1), unawareness of the term STD (OR 1.5), self-perceived risk for STDs (OR 1.7) and no history of syphilis (OR 2.0). When the data were analysed by gender, significant associations were identified between gonococcal infection and age <30 years, single status, and self-perceived risk for STDs for males. Among females, significant associations existed between gonorrhoea and age <30 years, and unawareness of the term STD. This study is novel in describing sociodemographic characteristics of STD clinic attenders, and risk markers associated with gonococcal infection in Trinidad.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Medical Statistics Section, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1665 University Boulevard, Ryals Bldg., Birmingham, AL 35294-0022, USA. jollyp@uab.edu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Castor
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Prabhakar
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Furlonge
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Camara
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Pauline E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Jolly
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D014300:Trinidad and Tobago / Q000453:epidemiology