Current perspectives in the USA on the diagnosis and treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease in adolescents.

In this review, the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) are discussed from a USA perspective and the difficulties that USA adolescents face in recognizing and seeking care for PID and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are emphasized. Females aged 15-24 years have the highest incidence of cervical infection with Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrheae, the principal causes of PID. PID is common in this age group. However, the incidence of PID in the USA is not known, because it is not a reportable disease, and because clinicians vary in the criteria used for the diagnosis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended the following diagnostic criteria that include lower abdominal or pelvic pain and at least one of the following: adnexal tenderness or cervical motion tenderness or uterine tenderness. Because PID can have serious sequelae, the criteria emphasize sensitivity (few false-negatives) at the expense of specificity (some false-positives). Patients who have PID are usually treated in the outpatient setting, following the CDC's Guidelines for the Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases 2015. They receive one dose of an intramuscular cephalosporin, together with 2 weeks of oral doxy cycline, and sometimes oral metronidazole. Improvement should usually be evident in 3 days. The USA does not offer comprehensive sex education for adolescents in public or private schools. Adolescents are unlikely to recognize the symptoms of PID and seek medical treatment. Confidentiality is important to adolescents, and low cost or free sources of confidential care are uncommon, making it unlikely that an adolescent would seek care even if she suspected an STI. The CDC has concluded that screening programs for chlamydia and gonorrhea infection help prevent PID; however, the lack of appropriate sources of care makes adolescents' participation in screening programs unlikely.

Homosexuality-related stigma and sexual risk behaviors among men who have sex with men in Hanoi, Vietnam.

This article examined the associations between three forms of homosexuality-related stigma (enacted, perceived, and internalized homosexual stigmas) with risky sexual behaviors, and to describe the mechanisms of these associations, among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Hanoi, Vietnam. We used respondent-driven sampling (RDS) to recruit 451 MSM into a cross-sectional study conducted from August 2010 to January 2011. Data were adjusted for recruitment patterns due to the RDS approach; logistic regression and path analyses were performed. Participants were young and single; most had attended at least some college. Nine out of ten participants engaged in sexual behaviors at moderate to high risk levels. Compared to those who had no enacted homosexual stigma, men having low and high levels of enacted homosexual stigma, respectively, were 2.23 times (95 % CI 1.35-3.69) and 2.20 times (95 % CI 1.04-4.76) more likely to engage in high levels of sexual risk behaviors. In addition, there was an indirect effect of perceived homosexual stigma and internalized homosexual stigma on sexual risk behaviors through depression and drug and alcohol use. Our study provides valuable information to our understanding of homosexual stigma in Vietnam, highlighting the need for provision of coping skills against stigma to the gay community and addressing drinking and drug use among MSM, to improve the current HIV prevention interventions in Vietnam.

Use of latent class analysis approach to describe drug and sexual HIV risk patterns among injection drug users in Houston, Texas.

Following latent class analysis (LCA) approach we examined patterns of HIV risk using two related domains of behavior: drug use, and sexual activity among 523 injection drug users (IDUs) recruited into the 2009 National HIV behavioral surveillance system. Using posterior probability of endorsing six drug and sexual items, we identified three distinct classes representing underlying HIV risk. Forty percent of our participants were at highest risk, 25 % at medium risk, and 35 % at lowest risk for HIV infection. Compared to the Lowest-risk class members, the Highest-risk class members had riskier drug and sexual behaviors and had higher prevalence of HIV cases (6 vs. 4 %). This analysis underscores the merit of LCA to empirically identify risk patterns using multiple indicators and our results show HIV risk varies among IDUs as their drug and sexual behaviors. Tailored and targeted prevention and treatment interventions for the dual risk pattern are required rather than for drug or sexual risk in silos.

Comparison of surveillance sample demographics over two cycles of the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance Project, Houston, Texas.

We examined differences in sample demographics across cycles of the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance project, that examines HIV risk behaviors among men who have sex with men (MSM), injection drug users (IDU), and heterosexuals living in areas of high HIV prevalence (HET). MSM were recruited through venue-based sampling, and IDU and HET through respondent driven sampling (RDS). RDS data were weighted to account for sampling bias. We compared crude prevalence estimates from MSM1 (2004) to those from MSM2 (2008) for demographic factors known to influence risky sexual and drug-use behaviors. We compared crude and adjusted prevalence estimates for IDU1 (2005) and IDU2 (2009) and HET1 (2006) and HET2 (2010). In the MSM cycle, we found differences in age, and the proportions seeking medical care and reporting a recent arrest. There were no differences in the comparison of crude and weighted estimates for the RDS collected samples, nor were there differences comparing HET1 and HET2 weighted estimates. IDU2 recruited a larger proportion of males, and had a higher percent who graduated from high school and who reported recent medical care and a previous HIV test. Differences across MSM cycles may be related to differences in venues identified for each cycle. Differences in the IDU cycles may be due to an effort on our part to increase the racial/ethnic and drug-use diversity of the sample in IDU2. Our findings show the importance of formative work for both venue-based and RDS samples to increase understanding of the dimensions that affect social networks and the dynamics of populations in space and time. With familiarity of the target population, we believe that both venue-based and RDS recruitment approaches for NHBS work well and can be used to evaluate changes in risky sexual and drug use behaviors and in HIV testing behaviors.

Drug and sexual HIV risk behaviours related to knowledge of HIV serostatus among injection drug users in Houston, Texas.

This study examines the association between drug and sexual HIV risk behaviours and knowledge of HIV serostatus among a sample of injection drug users, recruited into the 2009 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance project. We calculated prevalence ratios and associated 95% confidence intervals of reporting a given risk behaviour comparing injection drug users unaware of their serostatus and HIV-negative to HIV-positive injection drug users. Of 523 participants, 21% were unaware of their HIV serostatus. The three groups were not different from each other in terms of drug-use behaviours; however, injection drug users unaware of their HIV serostatus were 33% more likely to report having more than three sexual partners in the past 12 months and 45% more likely to report having unprotected sex compared to HIV-positive injection drug users. We observed markedly higher prevalence of sexual risk behaviours among injection drug users unaware of their serostatus, but drug-use risk behaviours were similar across the groups.

Measurement of Stigma in Men Who Have Sex with Men in Hanoi, Vietnam: Assessment of a Homosexuality-Related Stigma Scale.

Objective. To develop and assess a homosexuality-related stigma scale among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Hanoi, Vietnam. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study using respondent-driven sampling in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2011. We used a cross-validation approach. Factor analysis was performed, and interitem correlation matrices were constructed to identify the latent factor structures, examine the goodness of fit, and assess convergent and discriminant validity of the determined scales. Internal consistency checks were performed in split samples and whole sample, and separately for each determined factor. Results. The findings were consistent in split samples. Three homosexuality-related stigma factors were identified: enacted homosexual stigma, perceived homosexual stigma, and internalized homosexual stigma. The fit indices of the confirmatory factor analysis in both split samples supported the hypothesized three-factor structures (in subsamples A and B: χ (2)/degrees of freedom ratio = 1.77 and 1.59, nonnormed fit index = 0.92 and 0.94, comparative fit index = 0.93 and 0.95, and the root mean square of approximation = 0.06 and 0.05, resp.). The interitem correlation supported the convergent and discriminant validity of the scales. The reliability of the three scales indicated good consistency (Cronbach's alpha: 0.79-0.84) across split samples and for the whole data. Conclusion. Our scales have good psychometric properties for measuring homosexuality-related stigma. These comprehensive and practical tools are crucial not only to assess stigma against MSM and its consequence, but also to guide the development of interventions targeting MSM, as well as to evaluate the efficacy of existing stigma reduction efforts in Vietnam and other countries with similar settings.

Clustered drug and sexual HIV risk among a sample of middle-aged injection drug users, Houston, Texas.

Recent studies have reported a clustered pattern of high-risk drug using and sexual behaviors among younger injection drug users (IDUs), however, no studies have looked at this clustering pattern in relatively older IDUs. This analysis examines the interplay and overlap of drug and sexual HIV risk among a sample of middle-aged, long-term IDUs in Houston, Texas. Our study includes 452 eligible IDUs, recruited into the 2009 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance project. Four separate multiple logistic regression models were built to examine the odds of reporting a given risk behavior. We constructed the most parsimonious multiple logistic regression model using a manual backward stepwise process. Participants were mostly male, older (mean age: 49.5±6.63), and nonHispanic Black. Prevalence of receptive needle sharing as well as having multiple sex partners and having unprotected sex with a partner in exchange for money, drugs, or other things at last sex were high. Unsafe injecting practices were associated with high-risk sexual behaviors. IDUs, who used a needle after someone else had injected with it had higher odds of having more than three sex partners (odds ratio (OR) = 2.10, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.40-3.12) in last year and who shared drug preparation equipment had higher odds of having unprotected sex with an exchange partner (OR = 3.89, 95% CI: 1.66-9.09) at last sex. Additionally, homelessness was associated with unsafe injecting practices but not with high-risk sexual behaviors. Our results show that a majority of the sample IDUs are practicing sexual as well as drug-using HIV risk behaviors. The observed clustering pattern of drug and sexual risk behavior among this middle-aged population is alarming and deserve attention of HIV policy-makers and planners.

Effectiveness of respondent driven sampling to recruit undocumented Central American immigrant women in Houston, Texas for an HIV behavioral survey.

Respondent driven sampling (RDS) is widely used for HIV behavioral research among sex workers, drug users, and other hidden populations, but has had limited application in immigrant populations in the U.S. In 2010, we used RDS to recruit undocumented Central American immigrant women in Houston, Texas for an HIV behavioral survey. Beginning with three initial participants we recruited 226 women within 16 weeks. Social networks were dense and participants adopted the recruitment system with reasonable ease. Homophily scores indicated moderate within-group preference by country of origin. However, cross-group recruitment was sufficient to achieve a diverse sample that attained equilibrium for all demographic and sexual behavior characteristics. Overall, RDS was easy to implement, attained a large sample in a relatively short period of time, and reached an otherwise hidden population. Our results suggest that RDS is an effective method for recruiting undocumented Latina immigrants for HIV behavioral surveys.

Bisphosphonates in the treatment of patients with lung cancer and metastatic bone disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Bisphosphonates are known to prevent skeletal-related events (SREs) in advanced breast cancer, prostate cancer, and multiple myeloma. This systematic review assessed the efficacy of bisphosphonates in preventing SREs, controlling pain, and overall survival in patients with bone metastases from lung cancer. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases through November 10, 2011 for controlled trials that included lung cancer patients with bone metastases treated with bisphosphonates. Two reviewers independently extracted data on pain control, survival, and SREs and evaluated the quality of each study. Meta-analyses were performed when there were two or more trials with similar outcomes. RESULTS: Twelve trials met our inclusion criteria and included 1,767 patients. Studies were placebo-controlled, or had compared bisphosphonates with other modalities (chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or radioisotope therapy), or had used different bisphosphonates as active controls. Randomized controlled trials did not report adequate descriptions of randomization procedures, allocation concealment, and blinding, resulting in low-quality scores. Patients treated with zoledronic acid + chemotherapy had fewer SREs than those receiving chemotherapy alone (relative risk (RR) 0.81, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.67-0.97). Pain control improved when a bisphosphonate was added to another treatment modality (chemotherapy or radiation; RR 1.18, 95 %CI 1.0-1.4). Bisphosphonate therapy improved survival compared to controls, but the difference failed to reach statistical significance (mean of 72 days, 95 %CI -8.9 to 152.9). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with bisphosphonates reduced SREs, improved pain control, and showed a trend to increased survival. Bisphosphonates should be used in the treatment of patients with lung cancer and bone metastases.

Prevalence of HIV risk behaviors among undocumented Central American immigrant women in Houston, Texas.

Undocumented Central American immigrants in the United States are disproportionately affected by HIV infection. However, epidemiological data on sexual behaviors among undocumented women are sparse and the extent to which behaviors vary by duration of residence in the U.S.is largely unknown. In 2010, we used respondent driven sampling to conduct an HIV behavioral survey among Central American immigrant women residing in Houston, Texas without a valid U.S. visa or residency papers. Here we describe the prevalence of sexual risk behaviors and compare recent (5 years or less in the U.S.) and established immigrants (over 5 years in the U.S.) to elucidate changes in sexual risk behaviors over time. Our data suggest that recent immigrants have less stable sexual partnerships than established immigrants, as they are more likely to have multiple and concurrent sexual partnerships, as well as partnerships of shorter duration.

The prevalence of spirituality, optimism, depression, and fatalism in a bi-ethnic stroke population.

To provide insight into the reduced post-stroke all-cause mortality among Mexican Americans, we explored ethnic differences in the pre-stroke prevalence of (1) spirituality, (2) optimism, (3) depression, and (4) fatalism in a Mexican American and non-Hispanic white stroke population. The Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) project is a population-based stroke surveillance study in Nueces County, Texas. Seven hundred ten stroke patients were queried. For fatalism, optimism, and depression scales, unadjusted ethnic comparisons were made using linear regression models. Regression models were also used to explore how age and gender modify the ethnic associations after adjustment for education. For the categorical spirituality variables, ethnic comparisons were made using Fisher's exact tests. Mexican Americans reported significantly more spirituality than non-Hispanic whites. Among women, age modified the ethnic associations with pre-stroke depression and fatalism but not optimism. Mexican American women had more optimism than non-Hispanic white women. With age, Mexican American women had less depression and fatalism, while non-Hispanic white women had more fatalism and similar depression. Among men, after adjustment for education and age, there was no ethnic association with fatalism, depression, and optimism. Spirituality requires further study as a potential mediator of increased survival following stroke among Mexican Americans. Among women, evaluation of the role of optimism, depression, and fatalism as they relate to ethnic differences in post-stroke mortality should be explored.

HIV testing behaviors among undocumented Central American immigrant women in Houston, Texas.

This paper describes HIV testing behaviors among undocumented Central American immigrant women living in Houston, Texas, USA. Respondent driven sampling was used to recruit participants for an HIV behavioral survey. HIV testing items included lifetime history of testing, date and location of the most recent test, and reason for testing. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the demographic, behavioral, and structural characteristics associated with testing. The lifetime prevalence of HIV testing was 67%. Half of those who tested did so within the past 2 years and almost 80% received their most recent test in a healthcare setting. The primary reason for testing was pregnancy. Lifetime testing was associated with being from Honduras, having over a sixth grade education, having a regular healthcare provider, and having knowledge of available healthcare resources. Our results suggest that expanding access to healthcare services may increase the prevalence of HIV testing in this population.

Fatalism, optimism, spirituality, depressive symptoms, and stroke outcome: a population-based analysis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We sought to describe the association of spirituality, optimism, fatalism, and depressive symptoms with initial stroke severity, stroke recurrence, and poststroke mortality. METHODS: Stroke cases from June 2004 to December 2008 were ascertained in Nueces County, TX. Patients without aphasia were queried on their recall of depressive symptoms, fatalism, optimism, and nonorganizational spirituality before stroke using validated scales. The association between scales and stroke outcomes was studied using multiple linear regression with log-transformed National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and Cox proportional hazards regression for recurrence and mortality. RESULTS: Six hundred sixty-nine patients participated; 48.7% were women. In fully adjusted models, an increase in fatalism from the first to third quartile was associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.06-1.88) and marginally associated with risk of recurrence (hazard ratio, 1.35; 95% CI, 0.97-1.88), but not stroke severity. Similarly, an increase in depressive symptoms was associated with increased mortality (hazard ratio, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.02-1.72), marginally associated with stroke recurrence (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.93-1.62), and with a 9.0% increase in stroke severity (95% CI, 0.01-18.0). Depressive symptoms altered the fatalism-mortality association such that the association of fatalism and mortality was more pronounced for patients reporting no depressive symptoms. Neither spirituality nor optimism conferred a significant effect on stroke severity, recurrence, or mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients who have already had a stroke, self-described prestroke depressive symptoms and fatalism, but not optimism or spirituality, are associated with increased risk of stroke recurrence and mortality. Unconventional risk factors may explain some of the variability in stroke outcomes observed in populations and may be novel targets for intervention.

Sexual compulsivity and high-risk sex among Latino men: the role of internalized homonegativity and gay organizations.

The objective of this study was to measure the correlation between compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) and internalized homonegativity (IH) and determine their association with unprotected anal intercourse in Latino men who have sex with men. Nine hundred sixty-three Latino men completed an Internet survey (MINTS study) in 2002 and provided data on two scale exposures. Logistic regression was used to test interactions and generate effect estimates. Higher IH and association with gay organizations modified the effect of CSB on high-risk sex. Drug and alcohol use also contributed to risk behavior for this subgroup. Overall, CSB had a strong association with high-risk sex. IH and gay organization membership may moderate this relationship, which illuminates an additional factor to consider in studying sexual risk-taking. Further work is needed to validate a path from IH and high-risk sex that incorporates drug or alcohol use.

Epidemiology of infections in women.

This article describes the epidemiologic profiles of sexually transmitted infections seen in US women. We present a brief description of the infectious agent, describe the epidemiology of the infection among women in terms of race/ethnicity and age (if those data are available), and present what is known about the behavioral risk factors associated with acquisition.

Growth in HIV-infected children receiving antiretroviral therapy at a pediatric infectious diseases clinic in Uganda.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) improves growth and survival of HIV-infected individuals. We designed a retrospective cohort study to assess clinical factors associated with growth in HIV-infected children on ART in Uganda between July 2003 and March 2006. Height and weight measurements taken pre- and post-ART initiation for at least 6 months were age- and gender-standardized to CDC 2000 reference. We analyzed medical records of 749 children receiving ART. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify covariates associated with risk of either stunting or being underweight. Longitudinal regression analysis with a mixed model using autoregressive covariance structure was used to compare change in height and weight before and after initiation of ART. The mean age of the study population at first visit was 7.5 years. Mean height-for-age, weight-for-age, and weight-for-height percentiles at first visit were 8.6, 7.7, and 7.9, respectively. At last visit mean height-for-age, weight-for-age, and weight-for-height percentiles were 8.6, 13.3, and 13.8, respectively. Baseline weight-for-age z score of 1 or more was protective against stunting (odds ratio [OR] 0.25, confidence interval [CI] 0.18-0.35) while baseline height-for-age z score of 1 or more was protective against becoming underweight (OR 0.75, CI 0.63-0.88). Children in World Health Organization (WHO) stages II, III, and IV at baseline were 1.5 times more likely to become underweight (OR 1.51, CI 1.07-2.14). Initiation of ART resulted in improvement in mean standardized weight-for-age z score and weight-for-age percentiles (p < 0.001). Weight-for-age percentile and z score improved significantly after initiation of ART. This pediatric population gained weight more rapidly than height after initiation of ART.

Psychological correlates of trading sex for money among African American crack cocaine smokers.

This article compares demographic characteristics, sexual practices, and psychosocial status among 193 African American female crack cocaine users who currently, previously, or never traded sex for money. Current traders were less likely to have a main sexual partner, more likely to have a casual sexual partner, and more likely to smoke larger quantities of crack. There was a significant trend towards current traders reporting lower self-esteem, greater depression and anxiety, poorer decision-making confidence, more hostility, less social conformity, greater risk taking behaviors, and more problems growing up, compared to previous and never traders. These differences suggest that interventions should address self-esteem, risk-taking practices, depression and anxiety as well as other psychosocial factors.

Recruiting injection drug users: a three-site comparison of results and experiences with respondent-driven and targeted sampling procedures.

Several recent studies have utilized respondent-driven sampling (RDS) methods to survey hidden populations such as commercial sex-workers, men who have sex with men (MSM) and injection drug users (IDU). Few studies, however, have provided a direct comparison between RDS and other more traditional sampling methods such as venue-based, targeted or time/space sampling. The current study sampled injection drug users in three U.S. cities using RDS and targeted sampling (TS) methods and compared their effectiveness in terms of recruitment efficiency, logistics, and sample demographics. Both methods performed satisfactorily. The targeted method required more staff time per-recruited respondent and had a lower proportion of screened respondents who were eligible than RDS, while RDS respondents were offered higher incentives for participation.

Ethnic differences in stroke recurrence.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether stroke recurrence and the effect of recurrence on mortality differ by ethnicity. METHODS: Using methods from the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi project, we prospectively identified first-ever ischemic strokes from emergency department logs and hospital admissions (January 2000 to December 2004). Recurrent strokes and deaths were identified for the same period. Cumulative probability of stroke recurrence was estimated. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine ethnic differences in recurrence and to examine the relation among ethnicity, recurrence, and mortality. RESULTS: During the time interval, 1,345 first-ever ischemic strokes were validated. Median age of patients was 72 years; 53% were Mexican American (MA). There were 126 recurrent strokes. Cumulative risk for recurrence at 30 days and 1 year was 2.6 and 7.5%, respectively. MAs had higher risk for stroke recurrence (risk ratio, 1.57; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-2.34) compared with non-Hispanic white patients, adjusted for demographics, stroke risk factors, and stroke severity. Stroke recurrence was related to mortality to a similar extent across ethnic groups (non-Hispanic white patients: risk ratio, 3.32; 95% confidence interval, 2.07-5.32; MAs: risk ratio, 2.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.42-3.88). INTERPRETATION: MAs had higher stroke recurrence risk compared with non-Hispanic white patients. Stroke recurrence had an important impact on mortality. Efforts to reduce stroke recurrence in MAs are needed.

Stroke burden in Mexican Americans: the impact of mortality following stroke.

PURPOSE: To estimate ethnic-specific all-cause mortality risk following ischemic stroke and to compare mortality risk by ethnicity. METHODS: DATA from the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi Project, a population-based stroke surveillance study, were used. Stroke cases between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2002 were identified from emergency department (ED) and hospital sources (n = 1,234). Deaths for the same period were identified from the surveillance of stroke cases, the Texas Department of Health, the coroner, and the Social Security Death Index. Ethnic-specific all-cause cumulative mortality risk was estimated at 28 days and 36 months using Kaplan Meier analysis. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to compare mortality risk by ethnicity. RESULTS: Cumulative 28-day all-cause mortality risk for Mexican Americans (MAs) was 7.8% and for non-Hispanic whites (NHWs) was 13.5%. Cumulative 36-month all-cause mortality risk was 31.3% in MAs and 47.2% in NHWs. MAs had lower 28-day (RR = 0.58; 95% CI: 0.41, 0.84) and 36-month all-cause mortality risk (RR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.64, 0.98) compared with NHWs, adjusted for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Better survival after stroke in MAs is surprising considering their similar stroke subtype and severity compared with NHWs. Social or psychological factors, which may explain this difference, should be explored.