High Rates of STD Among Men Living at a Single Residence

Background:  In June 2015, a LexisNexis^® Accurint^® search for a man with HIV infection revealed that more than 150 individuals (nearly all male) had lived at one address (House A) over several years.   This house was then identified as a three bedroom boarding residence for male actors for a small adult male film production company.  We investigated STD/HIV infections linked to men who lived at this address.

Methods:  Information on individuals who had lived at the residence was extracted from Accurint^® in order to determine the date of arrival, date of departure, age, and gender. Individuals were then matched to profiles in PRISM, Florida’s STD surveillance system (if applicable) to determine number and type of reported infections, and the likelihood of acquiring an infection while living in the house, as defined by reported infection within +/-6 months of reported residence in Accurint^®.  

Results:  There were 150 males who resided in House A from September 2003 through July 2015.  Collectively, 51 of the males (34%) had 92 infections in surveillance records, although the remaining 66% (N=99) were not found in PRISM.  Among the 51 men living in the house, 24 of these men had 42 (46%) STDs including: chlamydia (N=2), gonorrhea (N=17), syphilis (N=10), and HIV (N=13).  Since 2004, there were at least two infections each year leading up to the end of the study period.

Conclusions:  Accurint^® helped identify a group of individuals with high-risk behaviors suitable for routine screenings and HIV PrEP for HIV-negative individuals.  Location of transmission was difficult to ascertain as many of these residents engaged in high-risk behavior outside of the residence and occupation. As a result, active STD surveillance and frequent testing has become a routine for residents.  House A represents a community focal point for disease intervention and control by public health officials.