Skip to main content

Table 2 STI-related health care, coverage of hepatitis A/B vaccination, screening for STIs, diagnosed STIs, and partner notification in two sub-samples of MSM in Germany: n (%); results for lifetime and the previous 12 months

From: Self-reported history of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and STI-related utilization of the German health care system by men who have sex with men: data from a large convenience sample

 

Last HIV test negative

or not tested for HIV

n = 3,511

HIV-positive

n = 874

OR (95%-CI)/p

STI-related health care

Preferred STI care provider

    

<0.001 (χ2)

   General Practitioner

1,637 (46.6)

448 (51.3)

 

   Dermatologist

590 (16.8)

243 (27.8)

 

   Urologist

808 (23.0)

118 (13.5)

 

   Public Health office

475 (13.5)

55 (6.3)

 

Low threshold testing*

2,806 (79.9)

527 (60.3)

0.38 (0.33-0.45)

Would prefer a gay physician

2,529 (72.0)

614 (70.3)

0.92 (0.78-1.08)

Communication barriers**

1,589 (45.3)

180(20.6)

0.31 (0.26-0.37)

 

Last 12 m.

Lifetime

Last 12 m.

Lifetime

 

Medical consultation for STIs

757 (21.6)

 

433 (49.5)

 

3.57 (3.06-4.17)

  

1,327 (37.8)

 

597 (68.3)

3.55 (3.03-4.15)

No medical consultation***

190 (5.4)

 

28 (3.2)

 

0.58 (0.39-0.87)

Hepatitis A vaccination

 

1,932 (55.0)

 

566 (64.8)

1.50 (1.23-1.75)

Hepatitis B vaccination

 

2,045 (58.8)

 

577 (66.0)

1.39 (1.19-1.63)

Self-reported testing/screening §

 

Last 12 m.

Lifetime

Last 12 m.

Lifetime

 

HIV

888 (25.3)§§

2,367 (67.4)

183 (20.9)§§

n.a.

n.a.

HCV

787 (22.4)

 

437 (50.0)

 

3.46 (2.97-4.04)

  

1,223 (34.8)

 

577 (66.0)

3.64 (3.11-4.25)

Chlamydia

264 (7.5)

 

220 (25.2)

 

4.14 (3.40-5.04)

  

415 (11.8)

 

300 (34.4)

3.90 (3.28-4.64)

Syphilis

556 (15.8)

 

472 (54.0)

 

6.24 (5.31-7.33)

  

799 (22.8)

 

584 (66.8)

6.84 (5.82-8.03)

Gonorrhoea (rectal)

240 (6.8)

 

177 (20.3)

 

3.46 (2.90-4.27)

  

352 (10.0)

 

248 (28.4)

3.56 (2.96-4.27)

Gonorrhoea (pharyngeal)

232 (6.6)

 

159 (18.2)

 

3.14 (2.53-3.91)

  

330 (9.4)

 

223 (25.5)

3.30 (2.73-3.99)

Any of the above (not HIV)

992 (28.3)

 

572 (65.4)

 

4.81 (4.11-5.63)

  

1,522 (43.3)

 

713 (81.6)

5.79 (4.82-6.95)

Self-reported diagnoses

 

Last 12 m.

Lifetime

Last 12 m.

Lifetime

 

HCV

13 (0.4)

 

38 (4.3)

 

12.23 (6.49-23.06)

  

29 (0.8)

 

77 (8.8)

11.60 (7.52-17.90)

Chlamydia

66 (1.9)

 

104 (11.9)

 

7.05 (5.13-9.69)

  

199 (5.7)

 

233 (26.7)

6.05 (4.92-7.44)

Syphilis

84 (2.4)

 

138 (15.8)

 

7.65 (5.77-10.15)

  

232 (6.6)

 

366 (41.9)

10.18 (8.43-12.30)

Gonorrhoea (urethral)

105 (3.0)

 

117 (13.4)

 

5.01 (3.81-6.60)

  

459 (13.1)

 

357 (40.8)

4.59 (3.89-5.43)

Gonorrhoea (rectal)

28 (0.8)

 

39 (4.5)

 

5.81 (3.56-9.50)

  

66 (1.9(

 

127 (14.5)

8.87 (6.52-12.07)

Gonorrhoea (pharyngeal)

12 (0.3)

 

17 (1.9)

 

5.78 (2.75-12.15)

  

37 (1.1)

 

39 (4.5)

4.39 (2.78-6.92)

Any of the above (not HIV)

249 (7.1)

 

303 (34.7)

 

6.95 (5.75-8.40)

  

745 (21.2)

 

616 (70.5)

8.87 (7.51-10.47)

Of those: Informed partner(s)

125 (50.2)

 

152 (50.2)

 

1.0 (0.71-1.39)

  1. *Low threshold testing: No general objection to testing campaigns in bars, discos, or saunas; **Communication barriers: Respondents who said the most important reason for not consulting a health care provider although suspecting to have acquired an STI was 'shame', or a feeling that talking about sex in general, or about sex with men, was not possible with their health care provider(s); *** No medical consultation: Proportion of respondents who said they did not consult a health care provider despite having symptoms or knowing that a sexual partner had an STI; § Self-reported testing/screening: Latest HIV antibody test; tested for STIs in the absence of specific symptoms? §§ Latest HIV test in 2005 or 2006 (i.e. within the previous 18 months); assuming that HIV-testing is equally spread over the year, this value was adjusted to 12 months