Search Abstracts

Background The difficulty in culturing Treponema pallidum (T. pallidum) has limited molecular-biological analyses. This study aims to establish a molecular epidemiological analysis using the multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) scheme with whole blood specimens and to explore the relationship between T. pallidum bacteremia and its associated pathophysiology. Methods We used whole blood specimens from participants serologically…

Background Women reported increased incidence of irregular menstruation (IM) during the COVID-19 (COVID) pandemic. No research has evaluated IM among women living with HIV (WWH) during the COVID pandemic, which is key to understanding reproductive health during co-infections. Methods From 2021-2023, cross-sectional data were collected from the Study of Treatment and Reproductive Outcomes (STAR) cohort…

Background Bacterial STIs are on the rise globally. Fast-dissolving dual-compartment (vaginal/rectal) inserts containing doxycycline (DOX) provide an alternate approach to STI prevention that can maximize local DOX concentrations while minimizing systemic distribution.   Here, we performed preclinical studies to evaluate the pharmacokinetics (PK) and protective efficacy following vaginal administration of CONRAD-developed inserts containing DOX against vaginal C.…

Background Following evidence of doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP) efficacy to prevent chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis among men and transgender women who have sex with men, Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) released provider guidance in June 2023. We utilized data from PHSKC’s annual Pride Survey to assess changes in knowledge and self-reported doxyPEP…

Background Prior research has suggested that depressive symptoms may be related to incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among women, but the patterns have not been consistent and the types of comparisons that have been made are limited. Here, we address this knowledge gap by estimating the dose-response relationship between depressive symptoms and the 6-month…

Background Anal high-risk human papillomavirus (HRHPV) infection, especially human papillomavirus (HPV) 16, is the leading cause of anal cancer. This study explored factors associated with HRHPV incidence and clearance among individuals with acute HIV acquisition. Methods Participants who initiated antiretroviral therapy during acute HIV acquisition, defined as Fiebig stages 1–5, and agreed to undergo anal…

Background People with HIV (PWH) are equally likely to have aborted pregnancies as people without HIV (PWoH) but may be at risk of worse outcomes. Abortion-related infections are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in regions with restricted access to elective abortion. We aimed to determine if HIV increased the risk of an abortion-related…

Background DoxyPEP proved to be effective in preventing bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended it in men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) who have had at least one infection in the previous 12 months. However, the risk of antibiotic overuse and…

Background Guidelines differ on first-line treatment of Gonorrhea (NGI). European and Australian guidelines recommend ceftriaxone (CRO) + azithromycin (AZM) to target resistant strains and minimize resistance emergence, while the CDC and UK favor CRO monotherapy due to increasing AZM resistance and concerns about cross-resistance in other pathogens. Follow-up also differ: the CDC advises a test-of-cure…

Background Gonorrhea, caused by N. gonorrhoeae, has developed resistance to most antimicrobial treatments over time, including ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, penicillin, and cephalosporins. Importantly, baseline tetracycline resistance may impact the use of doxycycline as post-exposure prophylaxis (DoxyPEP) to prevent bacterial STIs. We evaluated baseline N. gonorrhoeae resistance in patients presenting to a community-based STI clinic. Methods We…