Association between where men who have sex with men (MSM) meet sexual partners and chlamydia/gonorrhoea infection before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in San Diego, California

Colin M B King; Richard S Garfein; Angela R Bazzi; Susan J Little; Britt Skaathun

doi:10.1136/sextrans-2022-055591

Association between where men who have sex with men (MSM) meet sexual partners and chlamydia/gonorrhoea infection before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in San Diego, California

Sex Transm Infect. 2023 Dec;99(8):527-533. doi: 10.1136/sextrans-2022-055591. Epub 2023 Jul 4.

Authors

Colin M B King¹, Richard S Garfein², Angela R Bazzi^{2

3}, Susan J Little⁴, Britt Skaathun⁴

Affiliations

¹ Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA cmbking92@gmail.com.
² Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
³ Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
⁴ Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.

Abstract

Background: Meeting sex partners online is associated with increased risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections. We examined whether different venues where men who have sex with men (MSM) meet sex partners was associated with prevalent Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) infection, and whether prevalence increased during (vs before) the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from San Diego's 'Good To Go' sexual health clinic from two enrolment periods: (1) March-September 2019 (pre-COVID-19) and (2) March-September 2021 (during COVID-19). Participants completed self-administered intake assessments. This analysis included males aged ≥18 years self-reporting sex with males within 3 months before enrolment. Participants were categorised as (1) meeting new sex partners in-person only (eg, bars, clubs), (2) meeting new sex partners online (eg, applications, websites) or (3) having sex only with existing partners. We used multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for year, age, race, ethnicity, number of sex partners, pre-exposure prophylaxis use and drug use to examine whether venue or enrolment period were associated with CT/NG infection (either vs none).

Results: Among 2546 participants, mean age was 35.5 (range: 18-79) years, 27.9% were non-white and 37.0% were Hispanic. Overall, CT/NG prevalence was 14.8% and was higher during COVID-19 vs pre-COVID-19 (17.0% vs 13.3%). Participants met sex partners online (56.9%), in-person (16.9%) or only had existing partners (26.2%) in the past 3 months. Compared with having only existing sex partners, meeting partners online was associated with higher CT/NG prevalence (adjusted OR (aOR) 2.32; 95% CI 1.51 to 3.65), while meeting partners in-person was not associated with CT/NG prevalence (aOR 1.59; 95% CI 0.87 to 2.89). Enrolment during COVID-19 was associated with higher CT/NG prevalence compared with pre-COVID-19 (aOR 1.42; 95% CI 1.13 to 1.79).

Conclusions: CT/NG prevalence appeared to increase among MSM during COVID-19, and meeting sex partners online was associated with higher prevalence.

Keywords: COVID-19; Chalmydia trachomatis; gonorrhea; sexual and gender minorities.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
COVID-19* / epidemiology
California / epidemiology
Chlamydia Infections* / epidemiology
Chlamydia Infections* / prevention & control
Chlamydia trachomatis
Cross-Sectional Studies
Gonorrhea* / epidemiology
Gonorrhea* / prevention & control
Homosexuality, Male
Humans
Male
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Pandemics
Prevalence
Sexual Behavior
Sexual Partners
Sexual and Gender Minorities*

Abstract

MeSH terms

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