HIV Infected Persons Who Acquired a Subsequent Bacterial STI- Florida, 2001-2011

Background:  In 2010, 16.2% of newly diagnosed STIs in Florida occurred among those with a previous HIV infection. An increase in co-infection rates warrants an exploratory look at potential trends/associations that could provide clues to tailor necessary interventions.  

Objectives:  To describe STI prevalence, demographics, and select risks factors of persons with a newly identified STI infection after HIV diagnosis. Additionally, this analysis seeks to quantify timeframes between HIV infections and subsequent STI infections and examine the differences by select factors.  

Methods:  STI surveillance records with a documented HIV test date prior to a reported STI were analyzed. The preliminary study period includes data from 2001-2011. The final analysis will include 10 full years of data (2001-2011).

Results:  Preliminary results indicate approximately 9,000 individuals had a newly identified STI infection after a known HIV date. Distribution of STI prevalence ranged uniformly between chlamydia, gonorrhea, and early syphilis. Late/latent syphilis accounted for the remaining 10% of new infections. One half of the study population were non-hispanic black, 3/4ths were male, and 61% were MSM. Ten percent of the study population had a new partner within the previous 3 months. The average timeframe between HIV diagnosis and the first reported new infection was 4 years. Times frames from new infections were diminished for younger populations and males in the last five years. Final results pending completion of 2011 dataset.

Conclusions: Pending 

Implications for Programs, Policy, and Research:  Implications for Programs, Policy, and Research Epidemiologic monitoring of STI prevalence among those with a known HIV status is necessary for planning and evaluating prevention services that address the key challenges and concerns among those infected with HIV and practicing unsafe behaviors.  The results from this analysis could potentially direct future conversations for appropriate interventions and policy development.