Factors associated with HPV and other self-reported STI coinfections among sexually active Brazilian young adults: cross-sectional nationwide study

Abstract

ObjectivesTo analyse factors associated with genital human papillomavirus (HPV) and other self-reported sexually transmitted infection (STI) coinfections among women and men aged 16–25 years from Brazil.DesignA cross-sectional, nationwide, multicentre study.Setting119 primary healthcare centres between September 2016 and November 2017.Participants6388 sexually active young adults were enrolled by trained health professionals.Primary outcome measureGenital HPV and other self-reported STI coinfections.ResultsOf 3512 participants with valid data for genital HPV and (STI)-positive status, 276 (9.60%, 95% CI 7.82% to 11.36%) had HPV/STI coinfection. Among men, HPV/STI coinfection was more prevalent than HPV infection alone. Among HPV-positive participants, the percentage of subjects who reported having another STI was highest for gonorrhoea at 4.24% (95% CI 2.67% to 5.81%), followed by syphilis, herpes and HIV. Smoking, drug use and ever having a same-sex sexual experience were risk factors that were uniquely associated with HPV/STI coinfection compared with HPV infection alone.ConclusionsThe results identified a low prevalence of self-reported STIs, but in participants with at least one STI, the prevalence of HPV was high. These results reinforce the importance of implementing strategies to prevent risky behaviours among Brazilian young adults.

Human papillomavirus and Its Association with Other Sexually Transmitted Coinfection among Sexually Active Women from the Northeast of Brazil

“…Among women who reported HPV/coinfections, women with one secondary infection were predominant, primarily by N. gonorrhoeae and HIV. Despite being a study carried out in a population of Brazilian women, the results differ from those reported in our study [ 2 ]. A possible explanation may be the method used for STI detection used by Kops et al [ 2 ], which occurred through the participants' self-report and may not reflect the actual status of these STIs during the interview.…”

“…Studies aiming to assess the prevalence of STIs in the general population are mainly focused on the identification of HIV and syphilis [ 15 – 17 ]. Despite the number of studies aiming to evaluate the prevalence of multiple STIs, only a few sought to assess the association between HPV and other STIs with the progression of cervical lesions [ 2 , 17 ]. Since there are currently more than 30 types of STIs worldwide and different methods of detecting these pathogens, we need to be careful in comparing studies.…”

“…A multicenter study performed in Brazil by Kops et al [ 2 ] stated that HPV-isolated infection was higher than HPV/coinfections. Among women who reported HPV/coinfections, women with one secondary infection were predominant, primarily by N. gonorrhoeae and HIV.…”

“…Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) worldwide, both in men and women, infecting about 80% of the world's sexually active population [ 1 ]. More than 150 viral types have been identified, and at least 13 types have the potential to cause persistent infection and the progression of cervical lesions [ 2 ].…”

HPV Vaccination Attitudes and Behaviors among General Practitioners in Italy

“…A striking finding of this study was that less than one third of GPs interviewees stated that they often or always collect information on the sexual habits of 12–26 years’ girls and boys. It is worth mentioning that GPs should be aware of population groups at risk for unhealthy sex life habit since such behavior plays an important role in the process of high-risk HPV persistent infection for adolescents and young adults [ 20 , 21 , 22 ]. Therefore, it is important to know the adolescent’s sexual habits in order to prioritize preventive strategies and to develop educational campaigns that should be routinely conducted to prevent the spread of HPV.…”