Prevalence and correlated factors of sexually transmitted infections among women attending a Korean sexual assault center

Abstract

Long-term observation of the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is unclear in sexual assault victims (SAVs).We aimed to identify the trends in the prevalence of STIs in SAVs and factors correlated with STIs. Between January 2010 and May 2019, a retrospective observational study was conducted in a regional sexual assault center in Seoul. Data were collected from sexual assault questionnaires and laboratory results. PCR for STIs, including Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), Mycoplasma hominis (MH), Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU), Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV), was performed via vaginal swab. Associations between STIs and covariates were examined by logistic regression. A total of 1843 SAVs were included, and 60.2% were positive for at least one STI. UU was the dominant agent (32.6%), followed by MH (27.7%) and CT (17.4%). The annual positivity rate ofMH showed a significant decreasing trend (tau = -0.600, P value = 0.020). The highest positivity rate of STI by age group was 68.0% (282/415) in the 15-19 years of age group. Age (OR = 0.951, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.934-0.968) and pyuria (OR = 1.898, 95% CI = 1.543-2.329) were associated with clinically important STIs (NG, CT and TV). The prevalence of STIs in SAVs was consistently high over 10 years, and most STIs were more prevalent in SAVs than in the general population. Presumptive treatment is still needed, especially for young SAVs with pyuria.