title: Self-report of sexually transmitted infections from 1994 to 2010 by adults living in France.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since 1994, French population-based knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices surveys have enabled researchers to estimate trends in sexual behavioural indicators.
  
  
  METHODS
  We estimated trends and prevalence of self-reported sexually transmitted infections during the previous 5 years among 16,095 sexually active adults aged 18-54 through five cross-sectional telephone surveys between 1994 and 2010. We then studied the factors associated with participants' most recent sexually transmitted infections other than genital candidiasis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 2.5% (95% confidence interval: 2.2%-2.9%) of women reported sexually transmitted infections within the previous 5 years, increases being continuously reported between 1998 and 2010. In contrast, men reported lower prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (1.4%; 95% confidence interval: 1.1%-1.7%), which remained stable over time. General practitioners and gynaecologists managed most sexually transmitted infections. Men notified their stable partners about infection less often than women (66% vs. 84%). Self-reported sexually transmitted infections were associated with younger age, multiple sexual partnerships and fear of sexually transmitted infections in both genders, with exclusively homosexual practices in men, and with a high educational level and recent HIV testing in women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-reported sexually transmitted infections clearly reflect risky sexual behaviours. The lower prevalence of self-reported sexually transmitted infections among men than among women may reflect less access to screening activities for sexually transmitted infections in men.
authors.affiliation: Département des maladies infectieuses, institut de veille sanitaire, 12, rue du Val-d'Osne, 94415 Saint-Maurice cedex, France. Electronic address: g.laruche@invs.sante.fr.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: La Ruche
authors.affiliation: Département des maladies infectieuses, institut de veille sanitaire, 12, rue du Val-d'Osne, 94415 Saint-Maurice cedex, France; Observatoire régional de santé d'Île-de-France, 75003 Paris, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pedrono
authors.affiliation: Département des maladies infectieuses, institut de veille sanitaire, 12, rue du Val-d'Osne, 94415 Saint-Maurice cedex, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Semaille
authors.affiliation: Inserm U1018, université Paris-Sud 11, AP-HP hôpital de Bicêtre, département d'épidémiologie, 94276 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Warszawski
authors.affiliation: Observatoire régional de santé d'Île-de-France, 75003 Paris, France.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Beltzer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Behavioural risk factors; Cross-sectional telephone surveys; Facteurs de risque comportementaux; Infections sexuellement transmissibles; Sexually transmitted infections; Sondages téléphoniques transversaux