Publications by authors named "Eric Chow"

Background: This study aimed to examine the positivity of urethral Trichomonas vaginalis in men attending an urban sexual health clinic in Melbourne, Australia.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of men who were tested for T. vaginalis using nucleic acid amplification test at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre between August 2018 and May 2021, and calculated the positivity.

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Genital Ulcer Disease (GUD) carries a significant disease burden globally. With limited access to diagnostics, the 2001 World Health Organization (WHO) sexually transmitted illnesses (STI) guidelines proposed a syndromic management algorithm that required a clinical decision to determine the management of GUD. We assessed the diagnostic accuracy of this algorithm.

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Mouthwash is a commonly used product and has been proposed as an alternative intervention to prevent gonorrhea transmission. However, the long-term effects of mouthwash on the oral microbiota are largely unknown. We investigated the impact of 12 weeks of daily mouthwash use on the oropharyngeal microbiota in a subset of men who have sex with men who participated in a randomized trial comparing the efficacy of two alcohol-free mouthwashes for the prevention of gonorrhea.

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Background: Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) infection is challenging to cure because of rising antimicrobial resistance and limited treatment options.

Methods: This was a prospective evaluation of the efficacy and tolerability of resistance-guided combination antimicrobial therapy for MG treatment at Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (August 2019-December 2020). All patients received 7 days of doxycycline before combination therapy based on the macrolide-resistant profile.

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Background: Australia introduced a school-based gender-neutral human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program for girls and boys aged 12-13 years in 2013. We examined HPV type-specific antibody levels in unvaccinated young men who have sex with men (MSM) with natural infection and compared these with levels in those vaccinated against HPV.

Methods: Serum specimens at baseline were collected from MSM aged 16-20 years in the HYPER1 (Human Papillomavirus in Young People Epidemiological Research) and HYPER2 studies, conducted in 2010-2013 and 2017-2019, respectively.

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The social measures taken to control the COVID-19 pandemic can potentially disrupt the management of HIV. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of the Australian COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) for people living with HIV in Melbourne. Using data from the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MSHC), we assessed the changes in rates of ART postal delivery, controlled viral load, and ART dispensing from 2018 to 2020.

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Background: Men who have sex with men are a risk group for anal human papillomavirus (HPV) and anal cancer. Australia introduced a universal school-based HPV vaccination program in 2013. Self-reported HPV vaccination status has been widely used in clinical and research settings, but its accuracy is understudied.

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Introduction: Little is known about COVID-19 vaccination intent among people experiencing homelessness. This study assesses surveyed COVID-19 vaccination intent among adult homeless shelter residents and staff and identifies factors associated with vaccine deliberation (responded "undecided") and reluctance (responded "no"), including time trends.

Methods: From 11/1/2020-2/28/21, we conducted repeated cross-sectional surveys at nine shelters in King County, WA as part of ongoing community-based SARS-CoV-2 surveillance.

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Long-term survivors of childhood Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) experience a high burden of chronic health morbidities. Correlates of neurocognitive and psychosocial morbidity have not been well established. A total of 1760 survivors of HL (mean ± SD age, 37.

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Background: Screening for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) at genital and extragenital sites is needed for most key populations, but molecular diagnostic tests for CT/NG are costly. We aimed to determine the accuracy of pooled samples from multiple anatomic sites from one individual to detect CT/NG using the testing of a single sample from one anatomic site as the reference.

Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched five databases for articles published from January 1, 2000, to February 4, 2021.

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Background: Childhood cancer survivors are at risk for cardiovascular disease. We assessed the burden of potentially modifiable cardiometabolic risk factors (CRF) among survivors compared with population-matched controls.

Methods: Survivors previously enrolled on Pediatric Oncology Group protocols 9404, 9425, 9426, 9754, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute 95-01 from 1996 to 2001 with acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, or osteosarcoma were prospectively assessed for the prevalence of CRFs and compared with an age, sex, and race/ethnicity-matched 2013 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) population.

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Influenza vaccination and antiviral therapeutics may attenuate disease, decreasing severity of illness in vaccinated and treated persons. Standardized assessment tools, definitions of disease severity, and clinical endpoints would support characterizing the attenuating effects of influenza vaccines and antivirals. We review potential clinical parameters and endpoints that may be useful for ordinal scales evaluating attenuating effects of influenza vaccines and antivirals in hospital-based studies.

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Purpose: Fertility preservation (FP) services are part of comprehensive care for those newly diagnosed with cancer. The capacity to offer these services to children and adolescents with cancer is unknown.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was sent to 220 Children's Oncology Group member institutions regarding institutional characteristics, structure and organization of FP services, and barriers to FP.

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To examine completion of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination 3-dose regimen and factors associated with completion among men who have sex with men (MSM) aged ≤ 26 years participating in a time-limited HPV catch-up vaccination program in Victoria, Australia. MSM who received their first dose of HPV vaccine at Melbourne Sexual Health Centre in 2017 were followed until October 2019. Vaccination completion was defined as those who received three doses.

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Australia introduced a national lockdown on 22 March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Melbourne, but not Sydney, had a second COVID-19 lockdown between July and October 2020. We compared the number of HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) prescriptions, HIV tests, and new HIV diagnoses during these lockdown periods.

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Most young adult cancer survivors (YACS) do not meet physical activity (PA) guidelines. Although PA can improve health and quality of life (QOL), few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of PA interventions for YACS exist. We conducted a pilot RCT to test feasibility of a PA intervention among YACS.

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Background: Experimental studies have shown that vaccination can reduce viral replication to attenuate progression of influenza-associated lower respiratory tract illness (LRTI). However, clinical studies are conflicting, possibly due to use of non-specific outcomes reflecting a mix of large and small airway LRTI lacking specificity for acute lung or organ injury.

Methods: We developed a global ordinal scale to differentiate large and small airway LRTI in hospitalized adults with influenza using physiologic features and interventions (PFIs): vital signs, laboratory and radiographic findings, and clinical interventions.

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Background: This study aimed to identify enteric and sexually acquired rectal pathogens, other than chlamydia and gonorrhea, associated with symptomatic proctitis in men who have sex with men (MSM).

Methods: Anorectal swab samples were obtained from MSM presenting with rectal symptoms and a clinical diagnosis of proctitis at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre between January 2017 and March 2019. Samples that tested positive for and were excluded.

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Up to 50% of women receiving first-line antibiotics for bacterial vaginosis (BV) experience recurrence within 12 weeks. Evidence suggests that reinfection from an untreated regular sexual partner contributes to recurrence. We conducted a pilot study of 34 heterosexual couples to describe the impact of concurrent partner treatment on the composition of the genital microbiota over a 12-week period.

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Background: The objective of this study was to examine long-term outcomes among children newly diagnosed with cancer who were treated in dexrazoxane-containing clinical trials.

Methods: P9404 (acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma [ALL]), P9425 and P9426 (Hodgkin lymphoma), P9754 (osteosarcoma), and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute 95-01 (ALL) enrolled 1308 patients between 1996 and 2001: 1066 were randomized (1:1) to doxorubicin with or without dexrazoxane, and 242 (from P9754) were nonrandomly assigned to receive dexrazoxane. Trial data were linked with the National Death Index, the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS), and Medicaid.

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Men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV have a high prevalence and incidence of anal high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) and anal cancer. We conducted an open-label, single-arm pilot study to examine the tolerability of imiquimod cream among MSM aged ≥18 years, living with HIV, who tested positive for anal hrHPV at Melbourne Sexual Health Centre between April 2018 and June 2020. We instructed men to apply 6.

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