Knowledge of sexually transmitted infections and risky behaviours: a survey among high school and university students.

INTRODUCTION: STIs are a serious public health problem. Worldwide, 500 million people a year acquire a STI, and young are the most affected. METHODS: This study was conducted administering an anonymous questionnaire to 1228 Sicilian students of high school and university. RESULTS: The students had variable understanding of STIs and their complications. The results demonstrate an extreme variability in the knowledge of STIs. Multiple linear regression showed that sexual health knowledge was associated with age and sexual orientation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that knowledge of STIs is poor and inadequate. This finding can put students at risk of STIs.

Epidemiological HIV infection surveillance among subjects with risk behaviours in the city of Messina (Sicily) from 1992 to 2015.

INTRODUCTION: Epidemiological studies are a key element in determining the evolution and spread of HIV infection among the world population. Knowledge of the epidemiological dynamics improves strategies for prevention and monitoring. METHODS: We examined 2,272 subjects who voluntarily underwent HIV testing from January 1992 to December 2015. For each subject, an anonymous form was completed to obtain information on personal data, sexual habits and exposure to risk factors. RESULTS: The number of subjects undergoing the screening test has increased over the years and the average age of the tested subjects has decreased over time. The main motivation for undergoing HIV testing is unprotected sex. Although heterosexual subjects taking the test were more numerous than homosexuals in this study, an increase in the latter over time should be highlighted. CONCLUSIONS: Although the number of tests performed has increased over the years, the persistence of unprotected sex shows an inadequate perception of risk. Therefore, it is necessary to implement programmes to increase the general awareness of HIV infection. It is also essential to undertake constant monitoring of behaviour, risk perception and the application of the screening test via surveillance systems in order to implement effective and efficient prevention.

Knowledge of sexually transmitted infections among younger subjects of the city of Messina (Sicily).

INTRODUCTION: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are considered a serious public health problem worldwide, affecting especially young people. The international monitoring data indicate that 70% of patients with STIs are aged between 15 and 24 years and the World Health Organization estimates that one out of 20 teenagers contracts an STI each year. We wanted to evaluate, through this work, what high school students of Messina know about the STIs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From February to May 2013 questionnaires were distributed to students of the last three classes of seven high schools, three of which belonging to humanistic area and four to technical area. The completed questionnaires collected were 1588. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The investigation carried out showed a better knowledge of the STIs by students of humanistic schools than students of technical-scientific schools, the percentage of correct answers was 74% and 60% respectively; this probably also depends on the family context, in fact, there is a statistically significant correlation between the percentage of correct answers and parents education level. Young people have a limited knowledge on the subject. We concluded our work by stressing the importance and the need to deepen and improve the training and information of the medical staff teachers and families, as it is from their knowledge and their ability to provide complete and accurate information about the risks posed by STIs that can derive knowledge and choices of appropriate lifestyle between the youth population.

Adherence of Aeromonas hydrophila strains to human enterocyte-like cells pre-infected with rotavirus.

INTRODUCTION: The interest grown in these years about emerging pathogens in the onset of intestinal disease showed that the pathogenic mechanism is a multifactorial event. Our objective was to evaluate the role of co-infection with rotavirus in the expression of Aeromonas spp adhesiveness. METHODS: The rate of co-infection involves contact of Caco-2 cells with the virus, followed by adsorption for 1 and 2 hours. Aliquots of bacterial suspensions were added to tissue-culture plates. After infection, cell monolayers were lysed; serially diluted lysates were plated to determine the number of bound bacteria by performing colony forming units (CFU) counts. RESULTS: Non-adhesive strains were not subject to variations resulting from co-infection, while those who had medium or high adhesiveness gave rise to an increase of the same. DISCUSSION: Infection with rotavirus promotes the Aeromonas ability to adhere to Caco-2 cells and this effect depends on the duration of infection and on the starting adhesiveness of bacteria strain.

Detection of human papillomavirus E6/E7 mRNA in women with high-risk HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33 and 45 which are associated with the development of human cervical cancer.

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION: The aim of our study was to increase the clinical meaningfulness of the virological data through mRNA E6/E7 oncoprotein identification, and to find a correlation between codon 72 polymorphism of the p53 gene and integration of HPV in host cell genomes. METHODS: We analyzed 80 cervical samples from women with HPV DNA types 16, 18, 31, 33 and 45. Transcripts of HPV were detected by the NucliSense EasyQ HPV assay and genotyping of the TP53 polymorphism was conducted using a TaqMan assay. RESULTS: Twenty percent of 80 tested samples were positive for mRNA Papillomavirus. The frequency of Arg/Pro heterozygotes in controls was over-represented compared with mRNA positive samples while there were no significant differences in the distribution of Pro/Pro and Arg/Arg alleles. CONCLUSION: The introduction of HPV mRNA testing in clinical analysis improved diagnostic accuracy of HPV infections. Our data suggest that a structural difference at codon 72 of the p53 gene may not be a sufficient risk factor for cervical carcinogenesis.