Sexual behaviours, knowledge and attitudes regarding safe sex, and prevalence of non-viral sexually transmitted infections among attendees of youth clinics in St. Petersburg, Russia

• Published in: Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology 2013-01, Vol.27 (1), p.e75-e84
• Main Authors: Shipitsyna, E., Krasnoselskikh, T., Zolotoverkhaya, E., Savicheva, A., Krotin, P., Domeika, M., Unemo, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescence; Adolescent; Age; Age Distribution; alcohols; Ambulatory Care Facilities; Chlamydia trachomatis; Chlamydia trachomatis - isolation & purification; Cohort Studies; Confidence Intervals; Data processing; Epidemiology; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infection; Inventories; Logistic Models; Male; Multivariate Analysis; Mycoplasma genitalium; Mycoplasma genitalium - isolation & purification; Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Neisseria gonorrhoeae - isolation & purification; nucleic acids; Odds Ratio; Prevalence; Risk Assessment; Risk factors; Russia - epidemiology; Safe Sex - statistics & numerical data; Sex; Sex Distribution; Sexual behavior; Sexual Behavior - statistics & numerical data; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - diagnosis; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - epidemiology; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - microbiology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Trichomonas vaginalis; Trichomonas vaginalis - isolation & purification; Urban Population; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0926-9959; 1468-3083; 1468-3083
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-3083.2012.04512.x

Background  Adolescents and young adults are at increased risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Knowledge of STI prevalence and risk factors are essential tools to elaborate preventive strategies. However, internationally reported studies on epidemiology of STIs among the youth in Russia are mainly lacking. Objectives  To ascertain sexual behaviours, knowledge and attitudes about safe sex and prevalence and correlates with STIs in attendees of youth clinics in St. Petersburg, Russia. Methods  A total of 301 women and 131 men, who self‐referred for STI testing, completed a questionnaire and were screened for Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Mycoplasma genitalium, and Trichomonas vaginalis using nucleic acid amplification tests. Results  The overall STI prevalence was 16.9%, and similar in the female patients and male patients (15.6% and 19.8% respectively). C. trachomatis, N. gonorrhoeae, M. genitalium and T. vaginalis were detected in 13%, 2.5%, 4.6% and 1.2% of the attendees respectively. The men displayed riskier sexual behaviours and worse knowledge and attitudes regarding safe sex compared to the women, with the most distinguishing features being younger age at first intercourse (P