Background: The burden of Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is high globally. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends syndromic management of these STIs, based on presentation with signs and symptoms, in resource-limited countries. Due to this syndromic approach, there is little current data on STI prevalence, including asymptomatic STIs, in high risk populations. Methods: We reviewed secondary data collected as part of the screening procedures of 6 clinical trials between 2012 and 2017 in Cape Town, South Africa. These trials recruited populations of different sexual orientation and gender, mostly key populations at risk of HIV and STI acquisition. Routine screening for STI symptoms and testing for Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Trichomonas, Syphilis and HIV was performed for all of the studies at screening/enrollment. Results: A total of 639 participants were screened; 411 (64.3%) self-identifying as female, 198 (31%) males, 29 (4.5%) transgender women and 01 (0.2%) transvestite. Median age was 20 years (IQR: 18-24), with the 15-24-year age category contributing 77% to the cohort. Laboratory testing diagnosed 239 (37.4%) people with STI infections in this cohort; only 28 (11.7%) people were symptomatic. 119 (88.8%) of Chlamydial, 64 (82.1%) of Gonorrhoeal, 23 (92%) of Trichomonal and 31(79.5%) of Syphilis infections elicited no signs and/or symptoms. Conclusion: A vast majority of STIs in this high-risk population were asymptomatic. Laboratory testing of causal organism was more reliable in diagnosing STIs than the use of signs and/or symptoms as recommended by WHO.

Under stress, chlamydiae can enter a non-infectious but viable state termed persistence. In the absence of a tractable genetic system, persistence induction provides an important experimental tool with which to study these fascinating organisms. This review will discuss examples of: i) persistence studies that have illuminated critical chlamydiae/host interactions; and ii) novel persistence models that will do so in the future.

No description available.

Sex education policies and programs in Florida are largely dominated by the abstinence-only approach. This paper makes the case that abstinence-only education is a failing policy in Florida, and evaluates strategies advocates may use in order to accomplish reform. Three different strategies are evaluated: countywide school district reform, statewide rejection of federal abstinence-only funding, and statewide standardization of sex education via legislation. Contrasts are drawn between all three strategies with regard to their potential impact on sex education policy in Florida, viability, and the challenges they present to advocates. This paper concludes that statewide standardization of sex education in Florida represents the best way to remedy the problem of insufficient sex education, but is unlikely to occur without increased bipartisan support in the Florida legislature. Statewide rejection of Title V federal abstinence-only funds remains an important policy goal for the purpose of accomplishing an end to federal abstinence grants but would likely achieve very little for Florida's students. Countywide sex education changes are thus far the only substantive victory for sex education advocates in Florida and should be instituted across the state with advocates taking special care to engage teachers, medical professionals, parents and local community leaders.

No description available.

No / In this study, we assessed if the superimposition of incident sexually transmitted infections (STIs) on HIV phylogenetic analyses could reveal possible sexual behaviour misclassifications in our HIV-infected population. HIV-1 sequences collected between 1997 and 2014 from 1169 individuals attending a HIV clinic in Antwerp, Belgium were analysed to infer a partial HIV transmission network. Individual demographic, clinical and laboratory data collected during routine HIV follow-up were used to compare clustered and non-clustered individuals using logistic regression analyses. In total, 438 (37.5%) individuals were identified in 136 clusters, including 76 transmission pairs and 60 clusters consisting of three or more individuals. Individuals in a cluster were more likely to have a history of syphilis, Chlamydia and/or gonorrhoea (P < 0.05); however, when analyses were stratified by HIV transmission risk groups (heterosexual and men who have sex with men [MSM]), this association only remained significant for heterosexuals with syphilis (P = 0.001). Under closer scrutiny, this association was driven by six heterosexual men who were located in six almost exclusively MSM clusters. A parsimonious conclusion is that these six individuals were potentially misclassified as heterosexual. Improving the accuracy of sexual behaviour reporting could improve care.

Globally, the incidence of infection caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the second highest among the bacterial sexually transmitted infections. In Canada, declining rates during the 1990s suggested progress toward curbing gonorrhea; however, those have been increasing since 1999, with rates in Saskatchewan among the highest in the country. Infection can cause serious complications in men and women, and reported resistance to third-generation cephalosporins could lead to potentially untreatable infections. Increased understanding of gonorrhea transmission dynamics, sexual networks, and predictors of antimicrobial resistance development is needed to inform the development of improved approaches to prevention and treatment. The research presented herein draws upon data from Shanghai, China, and Saskatchewan, Canada, to compare and contrast varying epidemiologic approaches to enhancing understanding of gonorrhea in the two settings. Using traditional statistical approaches, multi-level statistical modeling, social network analysis, and dynamic simulation modeling, questions related to sexual behavior, partner presentation, and antimicrobial resistance development are explored. Each technique is evaluated for its potential contribution to overall understanding of the issues related to the ongoing gonorrhea epidemic, globally, and in Saskatchewan. The relative strengths and limitations of the application of the analytical approaches in the different settings are described. Socio-demographic characteristics provided useful indicators of antimicrobial resistant infection among patients with gonorrhea from Shanghai. Further, socio-demographic characteristics were also useful for predicting presentation of a partner for testing and treatment and the use of condoms during intercourse, among this study population. In Saskatchewan, socio-demographic characteristics were useful in predicting coinfection with gonorrhea and chlamydia at the time of diagnosis as well as repeat infection with gonorrhea. Social network analysis of the Saskatchewan dataset provided little additional understanding of the gonorrhea epidemic in the province. This result was largely related to how STI data are collected and stored in the province. The utility of dynamic simulation modeling to investigate the potential impact of antimicrobial resistance in Saskatchewan was also limited due to the same data constraints. However, the insight gained from the model building process and findings from the working model did offer a starting point for conversations around the best ways to postpone the development of antimicrobial resistance in N. gonorrhoeae in Saskatchewan, as well as contribute additional information about how the ways in which STI data are collected and stored in the province considerably restrict the applicability of otherwise powerful epidemiologic tools. With persistently high rates of disease transmission, and the threat of untreatable infections due to antimicrobial resistance, N. gonorrhoeae remains a substantial public health threat locally and globally. The research presented herein describes various approaches to understanding and controlling this disease, applied in contrasting settings. There are a wide variety of elements that should be considered when choosing the appropriate tool(s) to address gonorrhea in a given population; there is no “one size fits all” solution. The local epidemiology of disease, cultural and behavioural norms, the characteristics of the notifiable disease reporting and information systems, and the availability of suitable data all affect the relative strengths and weaknesses of the available analytic methods and disease control approaches.

A endometriose é uma doença caracterizada pela presença de endométrio fora do útero. O estudo objetivou detectar Mollicutes (M. genitalium, M. hominis, U. urealyticum e U. parvum), HPV e N. gonorrhoeae em amostras de swab endocervical, fluido peritoneal e tecido de biópsia de mulheres com (grupo caso) e sem endometriose (grupo controle) e avaliar os achados com a endometriose. No swab endocervical, prevalências de M. hominis (Mh), M. genitalium (Mg), U. urealyticum (Uu) e HPV foram maiores no grupo caso (43,7%, 14,1%, 8,5% e 5,9% respectivamente) que no grupo controle. No fluido peritoneal também foi maior no grupo caso (Mh: 27,8%; Mg: 40,7%; Uu: 3,7% e HPV: 9,6%) do que o grupo controle. No tecido de biópsia, Mh (5,9%) e Mg (13,2%) foram maiores no grupo caso. M. genitalium no fluido peritoneal foi associado à maior produção de IFN-&#947; e IL-1&#946; (p < 0,05). O perfil de downregulation de genes da inflamação foi acentuado na presença de M. genitalium. Upregulation ocorreu na presença de M. hominis. Mollicutes podem influenciar na resposta imune na endometriose. / Endometriosis is a disease characterized by the presence of endometrium outside of uterus. This study aimed to detect Mollicutes (M. genitalium, M. hominis, U. urealyticum and U. parvum), HPV and N. gonorrhoeae in samples of endocervical swab, peritoneal fluid and biopsied tissue from women with (case group) and without endometriosis (control group) and evaluate the finds with endometriosis. In swab samples the prevalence of M. hominis (Mh), M. genitalium (Mg), U. urealyticum (Uu) and HPV were higher in case group (43.7%, 14.1%, 8.5% e 5.9% respectively) than the control group. In the peritoneal fluid it was higher in the case group as well (Mh: 27.8%; Mg: 40.7%; Uu: 3.7% e HPV: 9.6%).In the biopsied tissue, Mh (5.9%) and Mg (13.2%) were higher in the case group. M. genitalium in the peritoneal fluid was associated to a higher production of IFN-&#947; and IL-1&#946;. Downregulation of inflammatory genes were accentuated when M. genitalium was detected. Upregulation occurred when M. hominis was detected. Mollicutes could influence in the immune response on endometriosis.

A endometriose é uma doença caracterizada pela presença de endométrio fora do útero. O estudo objetivou detectar Mollicutes (M. genitalium, M. hominis, U. urealyticum e U. parvum), HPV e N. gonorrhoeae em amostras de swab endocervical, fluido peritoneal e tecido de biópsia de mulheres com (grupo caso) e sem endometriose (grupo controle) e avaliar os achados com a endometriose. No swab endocervical, prevalências de M. hominis (Mh), M. genitalium (Mg), U. urealyticum (Uu) e HPV foram maiores no grupo caso (43,7%, 14,1%, 8,5% e 5,9% respectivamente) que no grupo controle. No fluido peritoneal também foi maior no grupo caso (Mh: 27,8%; Mg: 40,7%; Uu: 3,7% e HPV: 9,6%) do que o grupo controle. No tecido de biópsia, Mh (5,9%) e Mg (13,2%) foram maiores no grupo caso. M. genitalium no fluido peritoneal foi associado à maior produção de IFN-&#947; e IL-1&#946; (p < 0,05). O perfil de downregulation de genes da inflamação foi acentuado na presença de M. genitalium. Upregulation ocorreu na presença de M. hominis. Mollicutes podem influenciar na resposta imune na endometriose. / Endometriosis is a disease characterized by the presence of endometrium outside of uterus. This study aimed to detect Mollicutes (M. genitalium, M. hominis, U. urealyticum and U. parvum), HPV and N. gonorrhoeae in samples of endocervical swab, peritoneal fluid and biopsied tissue from women with (case group) and without endometriosis (control group) and evaluate the finds with endometriosis. In swab samples the prevalence of M. hominis (Mh), M. genitalium (Mg), U. urealyticum (Uu) and HPV were higher in case group (43.7%, 14.1%, 8.5% e 5.9% respectively) than the control group. In the peritoneal fluid it was higher in the case group as well (Mh: 27.8%; Mg: 40.7%; Uu: 3.7% e HPV: 9.6%).In the biopsied tissue, Mh (5.9%) and Mg (13.2%) were higher in the case group. M. genitalium in the peritoneal fluid was associated to a higher production of IFN-&#947; and IL-1&#946;. Downregulation of inflammatory genes were accentuated when M. genitalium was detected. Upregulation occurred when M. hominis was detected. Mollicutes could influence in the immune response on endometriosis.

This study aimed at exploring the perceptions of teachers regarding HIV/AIDS in the Thohoyandou area. A survey design was employed to find out how teachers perceive HIV/AIDS. A group-administered questionnaire was used as a method of data collection. One Hundred and Fifty teachers were selected by using stratified random sampling technique. From each stratum the systematic random sampling method was used to select the sample. The respondents were selected from the population of teachers in the Thohoyandou, Thulamela area, in the Limpopo Province. HIV/AIDS in the workplace, with special emphasis on theoretical background, perceptions regarding HIV/AIDS and HIV/AIDS prevention strategies has been provided. Theoretical background covered what HIV/AIDS is, factors promoting the AIDS epidemic, HIV/AIDS in the workplace and psychosocial impact of HIV/AIDS on employees. Perceptions regarding HIV/AIDS covered voluntary counseling and testing and issues around working with someone who is HIV positive. HIV/AIDS prevention strategies focused on prevention and wellness programme, abstinence from sex, being faithful to one sexual partner, condom usage, managing STI and HIV/AIDS in the workplace. The research findings were presented graphically and discussed. It was found that teachers perceive HIV/AIDS as a reality and they also know the ways to prevent it, although most of them do not utilize those methods. Generally, teachers in Thohoyandou area are still at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. The conclusion and recommendations derived from the study are provided lastly. / Dissertation (MSoc.Sci (EAP))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted