Sexual health最新文献

The International Society for STD Research (ISSTDR) STI/HIV 2023 World Congress convened a participatory designathon to engage attendees in a problem-solving crowdsourcing event with the mission to design innovative solutions for improving sexually transmitted infection (STI) control. Designathons are three-phase crowdsourcing events consisting of a pre-planning phase, an active and intensive collaborative phase, and denouement phase for implementation and dissemination. Given escalating STI concerns, the Congress organisers recognised the opportunity to harness the collective expertise of the attendees by actively engaging them to generate innovative solutions for STI control by hosting a designathon during the scientific meeting. Designathon activities occurred during the Congress, and innovative solutions were presented during the closing plenary. Organisers prioritised participant diversity and engagement by creating four distinct groups based on lived experiences (Silver, Early Career, Traveller, and Community). Although competing priorities through the Congress were a challenge, participation from the attendees was high. Dedicated time and space for the event allowed for a successful designathon event, and the lack of restrictions, as might be encountered from funders or other stakeholder agencies, allowed participants to creatively develop innovative solutions for STI control. This designathon serves as an exemplar for successfully hosting a designathon at a large scientific meeting to engage attendees and contribute their intellect and voice to collectively solving significant problems.

Background: Despite availability of vaccines or medical prophylaxis for some sexually transmissible infections (STIs), promoting condom use remains an important public health strategy for the prevention of STIs. Recent research shows that regular condom use among young people in Australia has declined over the past decade, while the rate of common STIs has increased.

Method: In this paper, we report findings from a large survey of school-aged young people in Australia (14-18years old) in which we looked at the association between condom use and positive feelings about sex, beliefs about social acceptability of condoms and confidence talking with partners about sex and condoms.

Results: Communication and relational factors supported more consistent condom use. Participants were more likely to regularly use condoms if they discussed condom use with a sexual partner, perceived condom use to be easy (a measure that included perceived ease of discussing condoms with a partner) and perceived condom use to offer social or relational benefits, including perceiving condom use as a demonstration of care for a partner. Young men were more likely to report positive feelings about sex and regular condom use than young women. Young women were less likely than young men or trans and non-binary young people to report regular condom use.

Conclusions: The study shows the importance of supporting young people to build confidence expressing sexual needs and wants with partners. Public health approaches to STI prevention need to consider condom promotion in the context of young people's contemporary sexual, gendered and relationships cultures.

Background: Māori and Pacific young people are disproportionately impacted by sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Access to STI screening is important to reduce transmission and reproductive health complications.

Methods: Between November 2022 and May 2023, we held four wānanga (workshops) with Māori and Pacific participants (15-24years old) to find out what barriers they encounter to STI testing, and hear their ideas about how to overcome these. Participants were recruited via youth-focused community organisations in the Wellington region of Aotearoa New Zealand. Inductive thematic analysis was used to understand data generated from discussions, drawing on Māori and Pacific models of wellbeing to frame themes.

Results: Thirty-eight participants were involved in the wānanga. Barriers to STI testing related to five themes: (1) differences in cultural values and expression; (2) family/friends; (3) educational gaps; (4) psychological factors; and (5) structural obstacles. Suggested strategies to improve access to sexual health care included the need for free, flexible services, education and health promotion activities to reach young people in their spaces (e.g. church, marae, social media). Participants stressed the need for approaches to be community-based, delivered by trusted individuals using culturally appropriate messages, and saw participation in STI testing as beneficial for whānau/family and communities.

Conclusions: To improve access to STI testing, participants described the need for free services, together with education and health promotion to improve inter-generational sexual health knowledge. Reframing messages around STIs to align with Māori and Pacific models of wellbeing was identified as a way to normalise conversations, in turn reducing the stigma surrounding STI testing.

Background: Conversations around disease conducted through social media provide a means for capturing public perspectives that may be useful in considering public health approaches. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that is re-emerging. We sought to characterise online discourse on syphilis using data collected from the social media platform, Twitter.

Methods: We extracted English-language tweets containing the word 'syphilis' posted on Twitter in 2019. Tweet identification number and URL, date and time of posting, number of retweets and likes, and the author's screen name, username and biographical statement were included in the dataset. A systematically sampled 10% subset of the data was subjected to qualitative analysis, involving categorisation on content. All tweets assigned to the category of medical resource were assessed for clinical accuracy. The engagement ratio for each category was calculated as (retweets+likes):tweets.

Results: In 2019, 111,388 tweets mentioning syphilis were posted by 69,921 authors. The most frequent content category - totalling 5370 tweets (48%) - was a joke. Of 1762 tweets (16%) categorised as a medical resource, 1484 (84%) were medically correct and 240 (14%) were medically incorrect; for 38 (2%), medical accuracy could not be judged from the information posted. Tweets categorised as personal experiences had the highest engagement ratio at approximately 19:1. Medical resource tweets had an engagement ratio of approximately 7:1.

Conclusions: We found medical information about syphilis was limited on Twitter. As tweets about personal experiences generate high engagement, coupling an experience with information may provide opportunity for public health education.

Background: The Black Caribbean population have a disproportionately high burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) compared with other ethnic groups. The aim of this study was to explore barriers to engagement with STI testing within a UK-based young adult Black Caribbean community.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 14 young adults from the Black Caribbean community and six sexual healthcare professionals. Data were analysed thematically. A focus group of five young adults was conducted to refine themes.

Results: Data analysis generated three themes: (1) culturally embedded stigma; (2) historically embedded mistrust; and (3) lack of knowledge. Perceived as 'dirty', particularly for females, infection with STIs was stigmatised by religious conceptions of 'purity' and shame. This presented challenges in terms of cultural acceptability of talking about STI testing with partners, friends, and family. Legacies of colonialism, medical racism and malpractice compromised young people's trust in medical intervention and confidentiality of data management. A lack of knowledge related to STIs and their treatment, and in how to access and perform STI tests further served as a barrier. Culturally tailored interventions targeting these factors and delivered by radio, podcasts and social media were highlighted as having potential to improve engagement with STI testing.

Discussion: Engagement with STI testing by young adults from the Black Caribbean community is impacted by historically and culturally embedded teachings, practices and beliefs inherited through generations. Targeting these factors within culturally tailored interventions may be effective for increasing STI-testing, and thus reducing rates of STI-infection in this population.

Background: Chemsex, a type of sexualised drug use, is expanding among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), with physical and mental health risks. Health-seeking behaviours of GBMSM practising chemsex is not clear.

Methods: Harm reduction (HR) consultations for GBMSM engaging in chemsex and seeking comprehensive services including HR were offered in a Parisian infectious disease unit. From December 2021 to January 2022, HR consultation patients completed an online survey on their consumption, health, used services, and perspective on consultations. We generated descriptive statistics, and tested (χ 2 ) the relationship between reporting a specialised follow-up and perceived usefulness of intervention.

Results: Of 172 patients, a total of 96 GBMSM (55.2%) completed the survey. Most ever consumed substance was 3-methylmethcathinone (3MMC; 92/96; 95.8%). Before consultations, about half consumed at least once a week (50/96; 52%), most reported negative impacts of chemsex on their social (60/96, 62.5%), professional (56/96, 58.3%), intimate (53/96; 55.21%), or sexual life (52/96; 54.17%). Also, more than two-thirds (n =57; 69.38%) had received a follow-up in specialised services: one-third had been followed in addictology (28/96, 29.2%) and/or psychotherapy (32/96, 33.3%), and one-fourth (24/96, 25.0%) had used emergency services. After consultations, three-quarters perceived the intervention as useful (n =74; 77.08%); we found no significant relationship with receiving a specialised follow-up; and most were satisfied with professionals' listening (90/96; 93.8%), and reported reduced risks (80/96; 83.3%).

Discussion: Multidisciplinary HR, preventive, diagnostical, and therapeutic sexological and psychiatric interventions are greatly needed among GBMSM practising chemsex. HR interventions accessible in services already attended by GBMSM are a valuable option.

Syphilis is an important global health threat and little has changed in its treatment since the mid-20th century. For late-latent or syphilis infection of unknown duration, the standard treatment of multiple intramuscular injections of benzathine penicillin G (BPG) are associated with significant pain and distress to clients and caregivers, negatively impacting on treatment completion. Based on pharmacokinetic modelling from a Phase I study of subcutaneous infusion of high dose BPG (SCIP), we present its feasibility, safety and tolerability for treatment of syphilis in a single infusion. SCIP leads to more sustained penicillin concentrations above the desired target with less reported pain and reduced clinic visits.