Herpes simplex virus type 2 serological testing at a community court: predictors of test acceptance and seropositivity among female defendants.

Despite the high prevalence of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), testing for asymptomatic infections is uncommon. One population for whom targeted interventions may be prioritized include individuals involved with the correctional system. Here we describe the acceptability of a novel HSV-2 screening program, implemented in a court setting, as a possible intervention for corrections-involved women. Female defendants completed an interviewer administered survey assessing factors associated with uptake/refusal of free point-of-care HSV-2 serologic testing and HSV-2 seropositivity. Participants included 143 women, 18-62 years old (mean 32.85) with diverse ethnicities. The majority (65.7%) accepted testing and 62.4% tested HSV-2 seropositive. Factors independently associated with test acceptance included higher perceived susceptibility to genital herpes infection and not receiving a preventative health screen. Women who were seropositive tended to be older, Black, report having previous STI, and be arrested on a prostitution charge. Findings suggest point-of-care testing in a court setting is acceptable to women and can be implemented to improve case finding of STI.

[Pregnancy in a sample of immigrants from Southeast Asia living in the Messina region]. / La gravidanza in un campione di donne immigrate dal Sud-Est asiatico nel territorio di Messina.

Hundred-forty-eight pregnancies in immigrants from South-east Asia were analyzed. A high number of such patients underwent legal abortion; in the women who carried on pregnancy, the authors considered the course of pregnancy, delivery and puerperium and some neonatal parameters. The results have shown that pregnancy in immigrants presents a certain amount of risk.