Epidemiological Characteristics and Factors Associated with Repeat Sexually Transmitted Infections in Barcelona, Spain Over a Decade

Abstract

In the last few years, the frequency of sexually transmitted infections (STI) has increased, as has the number of people with multiple infections. The aim of our study was to describe the epidemiological characteristics of persons with repeated bacterial STI and to determine the risk factors for these episodes in persons living in Barcelona during the period 2007–2018. We studied all cases of bacterial STI included in the STI registry of Barcelona. Repeated STI were defined as a diagnosis of gonorrhea, syphilis, or lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) after a first episode of one of these infections. Analysis was stratified by sex and place of birth. The factors associated with time to reinfection were determined by Kaplan–Meier estimates, while the factors associated with risk of infection were determined by a Cox proportional hazards model. Of 9927 persons with a diagnosis of bacterial STI, 1690 (17.0%) had at least two episodes of STI during the study period. On multivariate analysis, repeat STI were independently associated with male sex assigned at birth (HR: 3.45; 95%CI 2.22–5.36), age less than 34 years (HR: 1.22; 95%CI 1.10–1.35); gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, and transgender o transsexual woman (GBSMS/Trans) (HR: 4.03; 95%CI 3.24–5.03), having gonorrhea as first diagnosis (HR:1.49, 95%CI 1.34–1.66) or LGV (HR:1.75; 95%CI 1.47–2.08) and coinfection with HIV (HR:1.98; 95%CI 1.78–2.21). Sexual health programs should be strengthened to prevent STI and reinfection in key populations.