Risk factors for Mycoplasma genitalium infection among female sex workers: a cross-sectional study in two cities in southwest China

Abstract

Background Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) is one of the common causes of non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU) in men and is associated with cervicitis, endometritis, and pelvic inflammatory diseases (PID) in women. The prevalence of MG infection has been reported to be high among female sex workers (FSWs) in many countries, but limited information is known among this population in China. Methods From July to September 2009, venue-based FSWs were recruited in two cities (Wuzhou and Hezhou) of Guangxi Autonomous Region in southwest China. Information of socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics was collected by a questionnaire-based interview. Cervical specimens were obtained for detection of MG using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting mgpA gene. Results The overall prevalence of MG infection among 810 FSWs was 13.2% (95% CI = 10.87%–15.52%). MG infection was significantly associated with less education (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.36, 95% CI = 1.15–4.87) consisting of junior high school or below, being single (AOR = 2.27, 95% CI = 1.42–3.62), migrant background (AOR = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.29–3.20), and absence of any STI symptoms in the previous year (AOR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.09–2.52). Conclusions MG infection was prevalent among FSWs in the study areas. This pattern of infection suggests that an increasing attention should be paid to MG screening and treatment in this high risk population.

An Epidemiological Study of Mycoplasma genitalium Infections among Males Attending a Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic in Guangxi, China

“…The univariate logistic regression analyses showed that younger age (Ã35 years), single marital status, or living without a sexual partner were identified as independent risk factors, in accordance with the results of previous epidemiological studies of M. genitalium among other populations (13,17,18). This may be partly explained by the fact that MSPs who were younger, single, or living without a sexual partner were more likely to have active sexual behaviors, lack the acquired immunity of older people (19), receive less surveillance from families or spouses, and have limited economic resources.…”

“…The negative association between consistent use of condom and N. gonorrhoeae infection was previously demonstrated in some studies on commercial sex workers and people living with HIV (17,(20)(21)(22) but not in other studies (13,16,18,23,24). The discrepancy in this respect among the above related studies indicate that the use of condoms is not very effective for protection against M. genitalium infections.…”

“…This may be partly explained by the fact that MSPs who were younger, single, or living without a sexual partner were more likely to have active sexual behaviors, lack the acquired immunity of older people (19), receive less surveillance from families or spouses, and have limited economic resources. In addition, a higher education level, previously considered a protective factor against M. genitalium infection (11,13,18), was identified as a risk factor by univariate logistic regression analyses in the current study. The results of the present study infer that the participants with higher educations were more likely to be younger and pay more attention to their health, thus seeking treatment for STI symptoms earlier.…”

“…Only a few previous studies have specifically addressed the prevalence of M. genitalium infections in China (13,21,29,30), so the available information remains relatively limited to allow accurate estimation of its true disease burden in China. To our knowledge, this is the first study to determine the prevalence of M. genitalium and its risk factors among MSPs in southwest China.…”

“…On arrival, the urine samples were immediately mixed thoroughly, aliquoted, and stored at -709 C until further testing. The DNA of M. genitalium was detected by a previously published real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to target the MgPa adhesion gene (12)(13)(14). In brief, genomic DNA was extracted from urine samples using the QIAmp DNA Mini Kit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany) according to the manufacturer's instructions and used as template DNA for PCR amplification with primers MgPa-355F (5?-GAG AAA TAC CTT GAT GGT CAG CAA-3?…”