Sexually transmitted diseases as a risk for acquiring HIV infection among the population of men who have sex with men - A Case Control Study

At the beginning of the 1980-ies, HIV infection and AIDS were described for the first time, this among the population of men who have sex with other men. Nearly thirty years later, the MSM population is still a population under heightened risk for acquiring HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases. This study investigates sexually transmitted diseases as a risk for HIV infection. A total of 296 men who have sex with men (MSM) were included in this case control study. Differences among the frequencies of sexually transmitted diseases among the MSM of HIV positive and HIV negative status were tested. The history of HIV positive more often states falling ill with sexually transmitted diseases than this was the case before they became HIV positive, unlike those MSM who are not HIV infected (45,9% : 11,1% that is OR 6,79, 95% CI 3,49-13,19). Hepatitis B infection is more frequent in HIV positive MSM (11,5% : 1,9%; OR 6,58, 95%CI 1,86-23,3). The frequency of gonorrhea in case history of HIV positive MSM is significantly higher than in the HIV negative group (11,5% : 3,8%, OR 3,24 , 95%CI 1,13-9,34). In the group of HIV positive MSM, unlike the HIV negative group, syphilis (14,8 : 1,0%, OR 17,74 , 95%CI 3,43-122,87) and genital herpes (8,2% : 0,5%, OR 18,39 , 95%CI 2,03-424,7) are more frequent . The results of this study will be used in future preventive activities focused on the population of MSM, as a population under particular risk for acquiring sexually transmitted infections