Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1993. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Trends in gonorrhea and HIV infection among urban minorities.
Int Conf AIDS. 1993 Jun 6-11;9(1):103 (abstract no. WS-C22-3). Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/93333242 Frederick W; Delapenha R; Leverette C; Peters B; Prout J; Greaves W; Howard University Hospital, Washington, DC.
Abstract:
Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, education programs have emphasized safe sex practices as an important element in HIV prevention and one way of curtailing the spread of HIV. Among some groups safe sex practices may have been responsible for the decline in AIDS and other STDs which often coexist with HIV infection. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine trends in gonorrhea (GC) during the first decade of the AIDS epidemic and the effect of widespread AIDS education. We retrospectively reviewed all positive GC culture isolates reported by our hospital clinical microbiology laboratory between 1981-92 and cross-referenced infected patients (pts) with all HIV-infected pts to determine which GC infected pts were also HIV infected. The table below shows the number of GC infected pts, number who were HIV infected, sex distribution, and the number of GC isolates that tested positive for Beta-lactamase(BL) production. TABULAR DATA, SEE ABSTRACT VOLUME. These results show that GC increased significantly between 1981 and 88 with a peak in 89 but declined thereafter. However, while the number of GC cases decreased by a factor of seven over time, the proportion of isolates that were BL+ increased steadily from 2.2% in 1986 to 41% in 1989 and then decreased by a factor of 2. In each year more women than men were infected with the most dramatic difference occurring after 1989. The number of HIV+ pts infected with GC increased annually until 1988 and declined thereafter. For the majority of HIV+ pts, and in each year 1981-92, intravenous drug use was the predominant risk factor. Our results suggest that while safe sex messages may work there is a need for additional outreach programs to educate HIV+ pts not only about safe sex practices, but about drug abuse. This is particularly important for women at risk for HIV and other STDs. The increasing proportion of HIV+ women with GC since 1990 parallels the rising number of women with HIV infection and suggests that AIDS education may be having less impact on women. Finally, the increasing prevalence of penicillin resistant GC emphasizes the importance of using alternative antibiotics for the treatment of GC.
Keywords: *Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/EPIDEMIOLOGY *Gonorrhea/EPIDEMIOLOGY *HIV Infections/EPIDEMIOLOGY *HIV Seropositivity/EPIDEMIOLOGY *Minority Groups *Urban Population 931130
M93B5807
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Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1993. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
