Assessing Attitudes and Knowledge of Mpox Vaccine Among Unvaccinated Men Who Have Sex With Men.

Background: The 2022 mpox outbreak disproportionately affected gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). Mpox cases continue to be reported nationally. Vaccination is a tool to prevent the spread of and serious disease from mpox.

Risk Factors for Human Papillomavirus-Associated Cancers Among People Living with HIV in Washington, District of Columbia.

District of Columbia (DC) has high rates of HIV infection and human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers. People living with HIV (PLWH) are at risk for developing HPV-associated cancers. Previous studies identified factors that may further increase the risk of HPV-associated cancer among PLWH such as age, race/ethnicity, sex, risk factor for HIV transmission, stage of HIV infection, and age at HIV diagnosis.

Extragenital Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing Among Louisiana Parish Health Units, 2016-2019.

Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that men who have sex with men (MSM) get tested annually for urethral and rectal chlamydia (CT) and gonorrhea (NG), and pharyngeal NG. There are no national recommendations to screen women and heterosexual men at extragenital sites. We assessed extragenital CT/NG screening among men and women at Louisiana's Parish Health Units (PHU).

Qualitative inquiry into barriers and facilitators to transforming primary care for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in US federally qualified health centres.

Objectives: Health systems must rapidly move knowledge into practice to address disparities impacting sexual and gender minority (SGM) patients. This qualitative study explores barriers and facilitators that arose during an initiative to improve care for SGM patients in federally qualified health centres (FQHCs) from the perspectives of FQHC staff.

Design: Cross-sectional qualitative content analysis, using a general inductive approach, of secondary data from transcripts of intervention events offered to FQHC staff and semistructured interviews with staff and FQHC leadership during the intervention.

Transforming Primary Care for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: A Collaborative Quality Improvement Initiative.

Purpose: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people experience multiple disparities in access to care and health outcomes. We developed a quality improvement initiative, Transforming Primary Care for LGBT People, to enhance the capacity of federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) to provide culturally affirming care for this population.

Methods: The 1-year intervention blended the models of Practice Improvement Collaboratives and Project ECHO (Extension for Community Health Outcomes) to facilitate learning and translate knowledge into action.

Reactor Grids for Prioritizing Syphilis Investigations: Are Primary Syphilis Cases Being Missed?

Background: Health departments prioritize investigations of reported reactive serologic tests based on age, gender, and titer using reactor grids. We wondered how reactor grids are used in different programs, and if administratively closing investigations of low-titer tests could lead to missed primary syphilis cases.

Methods: We obtained a convenience sample of reactor grids from 13 health departments.

Laboratory Capacity for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Surveillance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae-District of Columbia, 2007-2012.

Background: In the District of Columbia (DC), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonorrhea) infections accounted for more than 25% of 9321 incident sexually transmitted infections reported in 2011; untreated infections can lead to reproductive complications and a higher risk for HIV transmission. In DC, limited capacity to measure the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant N. gonorrhoeae is available; culture-based antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) is needed to monitor antimicrobial resistance.

Viral Loads Among HIV-Infected Persons Diagnosed With Primary and Secondary Syphilis in 4 US Cities: New York City, Philadelphia, PA, Washington, DC, and Phoenix, AZ.

Background: Incident syphilis among HIV-infected persons indicates the ongoing behavioral risk for HIV transmission. Detectable viral loads (VLs) among coinfected cases may amplify this risk.

Methods: Primary and secondary cases reported during 2009-2010 from 4 US sites were crossmatched with local HIV surveillance registries to identify syphilis case-persons infected with HIV before or shortly after the syphilis diagnosis.

Public health interventions to control syphilis.

Syphilis control strategies are old, but interventions have changed and there is now a more scientific approach to evidence of effectiveness. We searched PubMed using 'syphilis control' to identify papers that measured the effectiveness of interventions. We also included novel approaches and comprehensive responses to outbreaks.

Gonorrhea infections diagnosed among persons living with HIV/AIDS: identifying opportunities for integrated prevention services in New York City, Washington, DC, Miami/Dade County, and Arizona.

: Persons living with HIV/AIDS who acquire new sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) pose a risk for enhanced transmission of both HIV and STDs. To describe the frequency of HIV coinfection among gonorrhea cases (GC), HIV and GC surveillance databases (2000-2008) were cross-matched in New York City (NYC), Washington, DC (DC), Miami/Dade County (MDC), and Arizona (AZ). During 2000-2008, 4.

Needle in a haystack: the yield of syphilis outreach screening at 5 US sites-2000 to 2007.

Background: Screening for syphilis has been performed for decades, but it is unclear if the practice yields many cases at acceptable cost, and if so, at which venues. We attempted a retrospective study to determine the costs, yield, and feasibility of analyzing health department-funded syphilis outreach screening in 5 diverse US sites with significant disease burdens.

Methods: Data (venue, costs, number of tests, reactive tests, new diagnoses) from 2000 to 2007 were collected for screening efforts funded by public health departments from Philadelphia; New York City; Washington, District of Columbia; Maricopa County, Arizona (Phoenix); and the state of Florida.

Evaluation of an innovative internet-based partner notification program for early syphilis case management, Washington, DC, January 2007-June 2008.

Background: The Internet has become a common venue for meeting sex partners and planning participation in risky sexual behavior. In this article, we evaluate the first 18 months of the Washington, DC, Department of Health Internet-based Partner Notification (IPN) program for early syphilis infections, using the standard Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Disease Investigation Specialist (DIS) disposition codes, as well as Washington, DC, Department of Health's IPN-specific outcomes for pseudonymous partners.

Methods: We analyzed DIS disposition codes and IPN-specific outcomes from all early syphilis investigations initiated January 2007-June 2008.

HIV testing frequency among men who have sex with men attending sexually transmitted disease clinics: implications for HIV prevention and surveillance.

Objectives: To describe trends in the occurrence and frequency of HIV testing among men who have sex with men (MSM) receiving care in 4 US sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics and to define factors associated with HIV testing frequency and positivity.

Study Design: Routine clinical encounters during 57,131 visits by MSM to STD clinics in 4 cities (Seattle-King County, San Francisco, Denver, and District of columbia), 2002-2006, were examined.

Results: From 2002 to 2006, a city-specific median of 69.

The resurgence of syphilis among men who have sex with men.

Purpose Of Review: To identify recent progress and emerging problems in addressing syphilis among men who have sex with men.

Recent Findings: A resurgence of syphilis has occurred among men who have sex with men in many developed countries. Infection has been associated with HIV coinfection, multiple partners, and recreational drug use.

Tolerance and efficacy of combined diethylcarbamazine and albendazole for treatment of Wuchereria bancrofti and intestinal helminth infections in Haitian children.

This randomized, placebo-controlled trial investigated the tolerance, efficacy, and nutritional benefit of combining chemotherapeutic treatment of intestinal helminths and lymphatic filariasis. Children were infected with Ascaris (30.7%), Trichuris (53.

Ultrasonographic examination of Haitian children with lymphatic filariasis: a longitudinal assessment in the context of antifilarial drug treatment.

To assess the clinical findings associated with detection of adult Wuchereria bancrofti worms on ultrasound, 186 schoolchildren in a filariasis-endemic area of Haiti underwent physical and ultrasonographic examinations. The filaria dance sign (FDS) of adult W. bancrofti was detected in the inguinal and crural lymphatics of 28 (15%) children.

Time to treatment for women with chlamydial or gonococcal infections: a comparative evaluation of sexually transmitted disease clinics in 3 US cities.

Background: Many women with positive screening tests for chlamydia or gonorrhea are not promptly treated and are at risk for complications and further disease transmission. Improved methods for notifying infected patients might increase timely treatment in this population.

Goal: Describe notification procedures at STD clinics in Washington, DC; Los Angeles; and San Diego and compare timeliness of treatment during 2000 to 2002.

Misclassification of the stages of syphilis: implications for surveillance.

Short Summary: Syphilis cases were reviewed to see if reported stages met the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention case definition. Classification was excellent for primary and secondary and good for late latent, but half of early latent and unknown duration were misclassified. New surveillance definitions are suggested, comments requested.

Prevalence and predictors of food insecurity among low-income households in Los Angeles County.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence and identify the predictors of food insecurity among households in Los Angeles County with incomes below 300% of the federal poverty level.

Methods: The Six-Item Short Form of the US Department of Agriculture's Household Food Security Scale was used as part of a 1999 county-wide, population-based, telephone survey.

Results: The prevalence of food insecurity was 24.