Differences between nonnational and indigenous patients with sexually transmitted infections in Italy and insight into the control of sexually transmitted infections.
BACKGROUND
To determine the health needs non-nationals, information on disease occurrence is fundamental. GOALS The goal of this study was to assess the clinical and behavioral characteristics of non-Italians with a new sexually transmitted infection (STI).


METHODS
Data were taken from Italy's National STI Surveillance System (1991-1999).


RESULTS
Of the 61,798 STI cases reported from January 1991 to December 1999, 6847 (11.2%) were diagnosed among non-Italians, 47.1% of whom were Africans. Being a non-Italian patient with an STI was associated with male gender (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-1.27), youngest age (AOR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.43-2.04), no formal education (AOR, 20.25; 95% CI, 17.51-23.42), and having contracted the STI abroad (AOR, 13.98; 95% CI, 12.59-15.54). The HIV-1 prevalence among non-Italian patients with STIs was 5.5% (95% CI, 4.9-6.2), with large differences by continent of origin. The highest prevalence was found among European injecting drug users (54.1%; 95% CI, 37.1-70.1), South American homosexual men (41.6%; 95% CI, 32.0-51.8), and heterosexuals from Sub-Saharan Africa (8.9%; 95% CI, 7.2-10.8).


CONCLUSIONS
Non-Italian patients with STIs seem to consist mainly of migrants, and STI transmission patterns differ from those among Italians; this information is important for developing targeted STI prevention efforts.
Giuliani
Massimo
M
Reparto AIDS e MST, Laboratorio di Epidemiologia e Biostatica, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. giuliani@iss.it
Suligoi
Barbara
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous