Sexually transmitted infections among PLHIV attending the STI clinic in Trinidad

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevalence in HIV infected patients, so as to better understand the common trends in HIV/STI transmission in this population, so that appropriate HIV/STI prevention strategies may be designed. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A chart review study of STI prevalence among people living with HIV (PLHIV) attending an STI clinic in Trinidad was conducted during the period January–December 2012. Data were abstracted from client records and laboratory log books to obtain the clinical and the laboratory diagnoses of STIs and analysed using SPSS version 22. RESULTS: A total of 385 PLHIV (168 males [43.6%] and 217 females [56.4%]) were seen during this period; age range 16–77 years, mean age 36.5 years. Of these, 104(27.0%) were newly HIV diagnosed and 281 (73.0%) had a known history of HIV infection. An STI was concurrently diagnosed in 135 (35.1%) of the 385 PLHIV and 18 (4.7%) had two concurrent STIs. In patients with known HIV infection, 117 (48.6%) patients were diagnosed with an STI compared to 18 (17.6%) patients newly diagnosed with HIV infection (p < 0.001). The most common STIs included syphilis = 51 (13.2%), genitalwarts = 46 (11.9%), non-gonococcal urethritis/cervicitis =27 (7.0%), genital herpes = 17 (4.4%), gonorrhoea = 6(1.6%) and trichomoniasis = 6 (1.6%). CONCLUSION: The STI prevalence is high among patients with known HIV infection in Trinidad, identifying them as a critical target group for efforts to prevent the spread of HIV and STIs.