Abstract
Background/Introduction: In England, people of Black Caribbean (BC) ethnicity are disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted infections (STIs), but it is unclear whether this varies by their region of birth.
Aim(s)/Objectives: To examine differences in STI diagnoses among UK- and Caribbean-born BC people.
Methods: Data on STI diagnoses in BC people attending specialist sexual health services (SHSs) during 2015 and living in England were obtained from the GUMCAD STI surveillance system, the national surveillance system for STIs in England. Associations between being UK- or Caribbean-born and each of several STI diagnoses were examined, using univariate and multivariable generalised estimated equations logistic regression models adjusted for sexual orientation, place of residence (London vs. non-London), HIV status, area-level deprivation, and STI diagnosis in the last year. All analyses were stratified by age (<25 vs. ≥25 years).
Results: In 2015, 63,568 BC people made 108,881 attendances at specialist SHSs; 81.9% of these attendances were made by UK-born BCs. The median age (years) was 26 for UK-born and 35 for Caribbean-born people (p≤0.001). Chlamydia, gonorrhoea and non-specific genital infection (NSGI) were the most commonly diagnosed STIs among UK- (5.8%, 2.1% and 2.8%) and Caribbean-born people (4.5%, 1.7% and 3.5%) respectively. Among BCs aged under 25, no significant differences in STIs were found between UK- and Caribbean-born people. Among BCs aged ≥25, compared to Caribbean-born people, those who were UK-born were more likely to be diagnosed with chlamydia (AOR 1.15 [95%C.I. 1.04–1.27]); gonorrhoea (AOR 1.23 [95%C.I. 1.06–1.45]) and genital herpes (AOR 1.23 [95% C.I. 1.10–1.56]) and less likely to be diagnosed with NSGI (AOR 0.89 [95% C.I. 0.80–0.99]) and Trichomoniasis (AOR 0.84 [95% C.I. 0.71–0.99]).
Discussion/Conclusion: STI diagnoses in BC people aged ≥25 attending specialist SHSs vary by region of birth. Country of birth may have an influence on social and sexual networks and therefore transmission of STIs.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | e0228654 |
| Journal | PLoS ONE |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 21 Feb 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information: The research and SW are funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit (NIHR HPRU) in Blood Borne and Sexually Transmitted Infections at UCL, http://bbsti.hpru.nihr.ac.uk/, in partnership with Public Health England (PHE), https://www.gov.uk/ government/organisations/public-health-england, and in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR, the Department of Health and Social Care, or PHE. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Open Access: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Harb et al.
Citation: Harb AK, Mohammed H, Furegato M, Wayal S, Mercer CH, et al. (2020) The association between region of birth and sexually transmitted infections among people of black Caribbean ethnicity attending sexual health services in England, 2015. PLOS ONE 15(2): e0228654.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228654
