Prenatal Depressive Symptoms and Postpartum Sexual Risk Among Young Urban Women of Color.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine whether prenatal depressive symptoms are associated with postpartum sexual risk among young, urban women of color. DESIGN: Participants completed surveys during their second trimester of pregnancy and at 1 year postpartum. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, excluding somatic items because women were pregnant. Logistic and linear regression models adjusted for known predictors of sexual risk and baseline outcome variables were used to assess whether prenatal depressive symptoms make an independent contribution to sexual risk over time. SETTING: Fourteen community health centers and hospitals in New York City. PARTICIPANTS: The participants included 757 predominantly black and Latina (91%, n = 692) pregnant teens and young women aged 14-21 years. INTERVENTIONS AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome measures were number of sex partners, condom use, exposure to high-risk sex partners, diagnosis of a sexually transmitted disease, and repeat pregnancy. RESULTS: High levels of prenatal depressive symptoms were significantly associated with increased number of sex partners (ß = 0.17; standard error, 0.08), decreased condom use (ß = -7.16; standard error, 3.08), and greater likelihood of having had sex with a high-risk partner (odds ratio = 1.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.26-2.70), and repeat pregnancy (odds ratio = 1.72; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-2.72), among participants who were sexually active (all P < .05). Prenatal depressive symptoms were not associated with whether participants engaged in postpartum sexual activity or sexually transmitted disease incidence. CONCLUSION: Screening and treatment for depression should be available routinely to women at risk for antenatal depression.

Evidence of heterosexual bridging among syphilis-positive men who have sex with men.

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether heterosexual bridging among syphilis-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) contributes to increased infection rates among adolescent women in Baltimore City, Maryland. METHODS: Interview data for patients with primary, secondary and early-latent syphilis from January 2001 to July 2005 were linked with their corresponding field records for named exposed contacts to assess prevalence of male bisexual activity and risk profiles of potential male bisexual bridgers and their female sex partners. RESULTS: None of the women with syphilis reported having known heterosexual relationships with a bisexual man. However, 3.9% and 11.0% of the male sex partners of adolescent females and women aged >25 years with syphilis, respectively, self-reported as MSM or named male sex partners. Likewise, 10.3% of syphilis-positive MSM named female sex partners and 3.0% of syphilis-positive men who did not self-identify as MSM named both male and female sex partners. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual network links exist between syphilis-positive MSM and heterosexual women, but the extent of bisexual behaviour among men is not detectable by self-identification and disclosure to female sex partners.

Attitudes about sexual disclosure and perceptions of stigma and shame.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the association between stigma and shame about having a sexually transmitted disease and adolescents' past STD related care seeking; between stigma, shame, and perceptions about disclosure of sexual behaviours to a doctor or nurse; and whether the association of stigma, shame, and care seeking was moderated by perceptions about disclosure. METHODS: A household sample of 142 sexually active African-American youths, 13-19 years old, was questioned about STD related stigma (alpha = 0.89), STD related shame (alpha = 0.90), and perceptions about disclosure of sexual behaviours to a doctor or nurse (alpha = 0.81). RESULTS: Among females, stigma was associated with increased anticipation of negative reactions to disclosure of sexual behaviours to a doctor or nurse (odds ratio (OR) = 0.319; 95% confidence interval (CI) =0.12 to 0.85) while shame was not. Stigma was also independently associated with STD related care seeking in the past year (OR = 0.296; 95% CI = 0.09 to 0.94) while shame was not. There was no association between stigma and shame with perceptions about disclosure or past care seeking in males. Perceived outcomes of disclosing sexual behaviours did not moderate the association of stigma, shame, and past STD related care seeking. CONCLUSIONS: Stigma about STDs may influence how female adolescents perceive reactions to disclosure of their sexual behaviour to healthcare providers. It may also be an important factor in their decision seek to STD related care. Perceptions about disclosure of sexual behaviour to a doctor or nurse do not change the relation of stigma or shame to past STD related care seeking.

Distribution of hydrogen-metabolizing bacteria in alfalfa field soil.

H(2) evolved by alfalfa root nodules during the process of N(2) fixation may be an important factor influencing the distribution of soil bacteria. To test this hypothesis under field conditions, over 700 bacterial isolates were obtained from fallow soil or from the 3-mm layer of soil surrounding alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) root nodules, alfalfa roots, or bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.) roots. Bacteria were isolated under either aerobic or microaerophilic conditions and were tested for their capacity to metabolize H(2). Isolates showing net H(2) uptake and H(2) incorporation activity under laboratory conditions were assigned a Hup phenotype, whereas organisms with significant H(2) output capacity were designated as a Hout phenotype. Under aerobic isolation conditions two Hup isolates were obtained, whereas under microaerophilic conditions five Hup and two Hout isolates were found. The nine isolates differed on the basis of 24 standard bacteriological characteristics or fatty acid composition. Five of the nine organisms were isolated from soil around root nodules, whereas the other four were found distributed among the other three soil environments. On the basis of the microaerophilic isolations, 4.8% of the total procaryotic isolates from soil around root nodules were capable of oxidizing H(2), and 1.2% could produce H(2). Two of the Hup isolates were identified as Rhizobium meliloti by root nodulation tests, but the fact that none of the isolates reduced C(2)H(2) under the assay conditions suggested that the H(2) metabolism traits were associated with various hydrogenase systems rather than with nitrogenase activity. Results from this study support the concept that H(2) evolution by alfalfa root nodules has a significant effect on the surrounding microenvironment and influences the number and diversity of bacteria occupying that region.

Uptake Hydrogenase Activity Determined by Plasmid pRL6JI in Rhizobium leguminosarum Does Not Increase Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation.

Six mutants of Rhizobium leguminosarum 3855 lacking uptake hydrogenase activity (Hup phenotype) as a result of Tn5-mob mutagenesis of the hup-containing plasmid pRL6JI were tested for symbiotic performance on Pisum sativum L. and Vicia benghalensis L. Three pea cultivars and one vetch line, which induce four different levels of Hup activity in strain 3855, were grown to flowering under microbiologically controlled conditions in the absence of combined N. Direct Kjeldahl N measurements showed that in every case at least one Hup mutant fixed as much N(2) as the isogenic Hup strain. Measures of C(2)H(2) reduction, H(2) evolution, H(2) incorporation, and plant dry weight were consistent with the interpretation that the oxidation of H(2) produced by the nitrogenase enzyme complex was not necessarily associated with increased N(2) fixation in these symbiotic associations. Tests with a smaller subset of the Hup strains under four different root environments ranging from pH 5.0 to 8.2 likewise showed no significant advantage for the isogenic Hup strain. It was concluded that the improvements in symbiotic N(2) fixation produced by pRL6JI are associated with some trait other than the Hup phenotype.

Effects of 250 mg% ethanol on monoamine and amino acid release from rat striatal slices.

A single IP injection of 2.5 g ethanol/kg body weight into the rat increased the striatal levels of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) one hour later to 133 and 141% of control values, respectively. Blood alcohol concentrations at this time were approximately 250 mg%. The increased striatal tissue levels of DOPAC and HVA found after IP administration did not appear to be due to a direct effect of ethanol on the efflux of these two metabolites or on the release of dopamine (DA) since in vitro studies with striatal slices demonstrated that 250 mg% ethanol had no effect on the endogenous release of DOPAC, HVA, or DA. However, ethanol did enhance the K+-stimulated, Ca2+-dependent release of glutamate and aspartate from striatal slices to 168 and 214% of control values, respectively. The release of glutamate and aspartate from slices of midbrain (minus colliculi) was also increased by 250 mg% ethanol. On the other hand, the release of GABA, NE and 5-HT did not appear to be significantly altered by 250 mg% ethanol. The in vitro findings have led to the hypothesis that the elevated DOPAC and HVA levels observed in the striatum following an acute IP injection of 2.5 g/kg of ethanol are due to increased release of DA produced by the excitatory actions of glutamate (and/or aspartate) on dopaminergic neurons.