Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections in women of the Czech Republic Armed Forces: a cross-sectional pilot study

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F61383082%3A_____%2F24%3A00001437" target="_blank" >RIV/61383082:_____/24:00001437 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38719228/" target="_blank" >https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38719228/</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/military-2023-002611" target="_blank" >10.1136/military-2023-002611</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections in women of the Czech Republic Armed Forces: a cross-sectional pilot study

Original language description

Introduction Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are an everlasting health issue globally. The military environment is recognised as a high-risk setting. Human papillomavirus (HPV), Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae are the most frequent STIs worldwide. This prospective cross-sectional pilot study focuses on the prevalence of selected STIs in the female population of the Czech Republic’s Armed Forces. Methods C. trachomatis, N. gonorrhoeae and HPV detection and genotyping were performed between August 2020 and December 2022 in 141 women. Participants were divided into three groups according to their military status—recruits (n=72), active soldiers (n=25) and control civilian group (n=44). Cervical smear tests were performed, and data on STI risk factors were obtained through a questionnaire. Results A significant difference in the HPV prevalence between recruits (64.5 %) and both active soldiers (46.4 %) and civilians (47.3 %) was found when adjusted for age (p=0.007 and p=0.01, respectively). Lower age of coitarche (median 16; p=0.005) and smaller agglomeration origin (p=0.013) were reported for military recruits. No difference was proven in other researched risk factors. Associations between HPV detection and the higher number of sexual partners (p=0.013), early coitarche (p=0.016) and single marital status (p=0.002) across the groups were observed. Not a single case of N. gonorrhoeae was detected in any of the 141 participants. The prevalence of C. trachomatis did not differ significantly between the three evaluated groups—recruits, control civilian group, and active soldiers (5.6%, 2.3%, 0%, respectively; p=0.567). Conclusions This pilot study showed a significantly higher HPV prevalence in female military recruits compared with both active military and civilian women. Recruits reported earlier coitarche which is a strong STI risk factor. Further study is needed to expand on the findings of this pilot study and generate data to support adjustment of STI preventive measures within the Czech Republic Armed Forces.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

30214 - Obstetrics and gynaecology

Project

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Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2024

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

BMJ Military Health

ISSN

2633-3767

e-ISSN

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Volume of the periodical

2024

Issue of the periodical within the volume

Sept

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

6

Pages from-to

1-6

UT code for WoS article

001222036100001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

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