title: Coinfection of Sexually Transmitted Infections among HIV-Positive Individuals: Cross-Sectional Results of a Community-Based Positive Living with HIV (POLH) Study in Nepal.
abstract: In Asian concentrated HIV epidemics, data on coinfection of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among HIV-positive individuals are limited. The authors measured the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhea (NG), and syphilis, and their correlates among 319 HIV-positive individuals in Kathmandu, Nepal. The authors tested blood samples for syphilis and urine samples for CT and NG. Overall, 17 (5.3%) participants had at least 1 STI (CT: 1.3%, NG: 2.8%, and syphilis: 1.2%). Of 226 participants who had sex in past 6 months, 51.3% did not always use condoms. Older (aged 35-60 years) participants were more likely (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.83; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.19-12.33; P = .024) and those who were currently married (AOR = 0.30; 95% CI = 0.09-0.97; P = .046) or on antiretroviral therapy (AOR = 0.21; 95% CI = 0.06-0.71; P = .012) were less likely to have at least 1 STI. Our results suggest the need to strengthen the efforts to screen and treat STIs and to promote safer sexual practices among Nepalese HIV-positive individuals.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Health Promotion and Policy, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Krishna C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Poudel
authors.affiliation: 2 College of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Kalpana
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Poudel-Tandukar
authors.affiliation: 3 School of Community and Global Health, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Paula H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mizoue
authors.affiliation: 5 Department of Community and Global Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masamine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jimba
authors.affiliation: 6 Department of Global Health, School of Health Sciences, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.|7 Bureau of International Medical Cooperation, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: 8 Laboratory of Cell and Gene Therapy, Institute for Advanced Medical Sciences, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan.
authors.forename: Bishnu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Acharya
authors.affiliation: 9 Everest International Clinic and Research Center, Kathmandu, Nepal.
authors.forename: Basu Dev
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Pandey
authors.affiliation: 10 AIDS Clinical Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis; D060085:Coinfection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D009390:Nepal / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology; D013587:Syphilis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents
keywords: Chlamydia trachomatis; HIV-positive individuals; Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Nepal; STIs; sexual behavior; syphilis