Comparing the epidemiological situation of selected sexually transmitted infection in three Czech regions between 2006 and 2013

Abstract

Aim: The research aimed to identify and describe the main differences in the incidence of sexually transmitted infections in three regions of the Czech Republic. Methods: Descriptive cross-section study analyses data received from each institution that allowed access to the Registry of sexually transmitted illnesses of individual regions. Mainly three regions are being studied, yet the study considers only the data from the same time-period in all three regions (i. e., 2006–2013). To compare the development of the epidemiological situation, we considered the incidence rate (IR) and specific incidence rate for both age and age groups. Methods of descriptive statistics were implemented. For the analysis of statistically significant differences, we used ANOVA when p = 0.01, alternatively in some cases F-test before an unpaired T-test to test variability. Results: The highest incidence rate for all integrated STIs was reported in the Capital City of Prague region (CCP) – 398.3 cases per 100 thousand – whereas gonorrhoea appeared the most in CCP and Central Bohemia regions (CBR) and syphilis occurred the most in the Pilsen region (PLS). ANOVA identified statistically significant differences between all integrated regions within the frame of incidence of all STIs as a group of infections, and also as individual STIs. Of course, the T-test identified statistical differences in most cases only between CCP and the other two regions, even though these differences weren’t identified between CBR and PLR. Likewise, there were statistically important differences identified (by ANOVA for all three regions mutually) for the specific incidence rate for gender and the 15–64 age group category where the most cases were aggregated. In all three regions, there were more male cases (CCP 75%, PLR 58,7% and CBR 66%) with most of them being composed of Czechs (69.7–79.8 %). HIV coinfection was reported in 5.5% of cases in CCP, 3.9% in PLR and 5.3% in CBR. Conclusion: This study submits the results of data comparison from three Czech regions in the 2006–2013 time-period. It points out differences in the development of sexually transmitted infections in individual regions, mainly in men having sex with men and other risk groups. It also invokes the issue of the insufficient level of knowledge concerning sexually transmitted infections in the MSM subpopulation.