An evaluation of syphilis partner services among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men with early syphilis in King County, WA.

Background: Partner services (PS) have been integral to syphilis control in the U.S. since the early 20th century but have not been evaluated in a controlled study.

Characterizing the Communication Networks of Spanish- and English-Speaking Latinx Sexual Minority Men and Their Roles in Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Uptake.

While pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has demonstrated efficacy in preventing HIV transmission, disparities in access persist in the United States, especially among Hispanic/Latinx sexual minority men (SMM). Language barriers and differences in how Latinx SMM obtain information may impact access to PrEP and HIV prevention. This study used data from the 2021 American Men's Internet Survey (AMIS) to examine differences in communication networks and PrEP use among Latinx SMM by primary language (Spanish vs.

Should We Be Testing for Mycoplasma genitalium on Initial Presentation? Trends in Persistent/Recurrent Urethritis Among Men Presenting for Care in STD Clinics, 2015-2019, STD Surveillance Network.

Background: Mycoplasma genitalium is a major contributor to persistent/recurrent urethritis cases. However, there are limited published studies on recent trends of persistent/recurrent urethritis.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of men presenting with symptomatic urethritis in 16 sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics from 2015 to 2019.

Association of Tecovirimat Therapy With Mpox Symptom Improvement: A Cross-sectional Study-King County, Washington, May-October 2022.

Background: Data on tecovirimat effectiveness for human mpox are limited. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional interview-based study to identify associations between tecovirimat treatment and the mpox clinical course.

Methods: Using public health surveillance data from King County, Washington, we recruited and interviewed persons diagnosed with mpox during May-October 2022.

A Participatory Approach to Identifying Gaps in and Recommendations for Sexually Transmitted Infection and Preexposure Prophylaxis Clinical Services in Pierce County, Washington.

Background: Pierce County, Washington, has a high burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) relative to Washington State and the United States. We used a participatory approach to identify gaps in STI and preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) service provision in Pierce County and generate recommendations to address these gaps.

Methods: In collaboration with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department (TPCHD), we conducted 14 key informant interviews with local STI/PrEP providers from varied clinical settings.

Sexually Transmitted Infection Partner Services Outcomes Before and During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in King County, WA.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic mitigation efforts resulted in reallocation of public health personnel, likely impacting provision of timely sexually transmitted infection partner services (PS). We describe PS outcomes before and during the pandemic in King County, WA.

Methods: We examined PS outcomes for syphilis and gonorrhea cases diagnosed in 2019 and 3 periods in 2020 (pre-lockdown: January 1, 2020-March 23, 2020; lockdown: March 24, 2020-June 5, 2020; post-lockdown: June 6, 2020-December 31, 2020).

The Syphilis Epidemic Among Heterosexuals Is Accelerating: Evidence From King County, Washington.

Background: We characterized the rapid increase in syphilis among cisgender women in King County, Washington, and compared it with trends among cisgender men who have sex with men.

Method: We used surveillance data from King County, 2007 to 2022, to describe incidence trends stratified by syphilis stage, gender, and gender of sex partners; trends in pregnant cases and congenital syphilis; and trends in rapid plasma reagin titer at diagnosis among late/unknown duration cases. We used joinpoint regression to analyze trends.

Reasons for Migration and Their Associations with HIV Risk and Prevention Among Cisgender Sexual Minority Men: A Latent Class Analysis.

The immigrant population in the United States (U.S.) is rapidly growing; yet there is limited knowledge about how reasons for migrating to the U.

Lessons learned from community engagement regarding phylodynamic research with molecular HIV surveillance data.

Introduction: The widespread implementation of molecular HIV surveillance (MHS) has resulted in an increased discussion about the ethical, human rights and public health implications of MHS. We narrate our process of pausing our research that uses data collected through MHS in response to these growing concerns and summarize the key lessons we learned through conversations with community members.

Methods: The original study aimed to describe HIV transmission patterns by age and race/ethnicity among men who have sex with men in King County, Washington, by applying probabilistic phylodynamic modelling methods to HIV-1 pol gene sequences collected through MHS.

Previous Sexually Transmitted Infections and Partner Services Interviews as Predictors of Subsequent Interview Completion Among Cisgender MSM: Partner Services Fatigue?

Background: Anecdotal reports suggest that partner services (PS) are less successful among people with repeat sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnoses and/or previous PS interactions. We examine whether having repeated STI diagnoses and/or PS interactions is associated with PS outcomes among men who have sex with men (MSM).

Methods: With STI surveillance and PS data for MSM diagnosed with gonorrhea, chlamydia, and/or syphilis from 2007 to 2018, in King County, WA, we used Poisson regression models to examine the relationships between PS outcomes (e.

The Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Care Continuum Among English-Speaking Latino Sexual Minority Men in the United States (2014-2020).

Background: There is limited understanding of the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care continuum specific to Latino/x gay, bisexual, and other sexual minority men (SMM) that encompasses the population residing outside of large metropolitan or urban areas.

Setting: We examined trends and characteristics associated with the PrEP care continuum with data from the 2014-2020 cycles of the American Men's Internet Survey, an annual online cross-sectional behavioral survey of cisgender SMM in the United States.

Methods: We calculated PrEP continuum outcomes overall and by year among Hispanic/Latino SMM (n = 9010).

Field Services-Facilitated Treatment and Prevention: Challenges and Opportunities.

Assisted partner services (APS) is a longstanding public health strategy to reduce transmission of sexually transmitted infection (STI) and human immunodeficiency virus in the United States. However, with rapidly increasing rates of STI, innovations to APS are needed to allow health departments to conserve limited public health resources while improving the effectiveness of APS. Disease Intervention Specialists (DIS), public health staff who conduct APS, have a wealth of experience in identifying, locating, and interviewing index patients and their sexual partners, but are currently limited in the services that they are able to provide in the field.

Presumptive and Follow-Up Treatment Associated With Gonorrhea and Chlamydia Testing Episodes in Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinics: Impact of Changing Treatment Guidelines for Gonorrhea, Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Network, 2015-2018.

Background:: CDC recommendation for treatment of uncomplicated gonorrhea (NG) were revised in December 2020 and include ceftriaxone monotherapy when chlamydial infection was excluded. We evaluated the impact of these revised treatment recommendations using data from a network of STD clinics prior to the change in guidelines.

Methods:: We performed a cross-sectional analysis from 8 STD clinics participating in the STD Surveillance Network from Jan 2015-June 2018 assessing gonorrhea/chlamydia (CT) testing episodes, NAAT results, CT only and NG/CT treatment records, and timing of treatment.

A public health approach to monitoring HIV with resistance to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Background: The risk of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) failure with sufficient medication adherence is extremely low but has occurred due to transmission of a viral strain with mutations conferring resistance to PrEP components tenofovir (TDF) and emtricitabine (FTC). The extent to which such strains are circulating in the population is unknown.

Methods: We used HIV surveillance data to describe primary and overall TDF/FTC resistance and concurrent viremia among people living with HIV (PLWH).

Prior Exposure to Azithromycin and Azithromycin Resistance Among Persons Diagnosed With Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infection at a Sexual Health Clinic: 2012-2019.

Background: There is conflicting evidence on whether prior azithromycin (AZM) exposure is associated with reduced susceptibility to AZM (AZMRS) among persons infected with Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG).

Methods: The study population included Public Health-Seattle and King County Sexual Health Clinic (SHC) patients with culture-positive NG infection at ≥1 anatomic site whose isolates were tested for AZM susceptibility in 2012-2019. We used multivariate logistic regression to examine the association of time since last AZM prescription from the SHC in ≤12 months with subsequent diagnosis with AZMRS NG (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC], ≥2.

Physical Violence and Psychological Distress Among Asian and Pacific Islander Sexual Minority Men in the United States Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This study examined differences in self-reported physical violence and psychological distress among Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) sexual minority men (SMM) before and during the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (2019 vs. 2020). We used data from 1127 AAPI SMM who completed the 2019 (August 2019-December 2019) and 2020 (August 2020-January 2021) cycles of the American Men's Internet Survey (AMIS).

Community and Provider Perspectives on Molecular HIV Surveillance and Cluster Detection and Response for HIV Prevention: Qualitative Findings From King County, Washington.

Responding quickly to HIV outbreaks is one of four pillars of the U.S. Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative.

Molecular Epidemiology of Individuals Experiencing Unstable Housing or Living Homeless at HIV Diagnosis: Analysis of HIV Surveillance Data in King County, Washington.

We examined patterns of genetic clustering among individuals diagnosed with HIV between 2010 and 2018 using data from King County, Washington's National HIV Surveillance System. Among 2,371 individuals newly diagnosed with HIV, 231 (10%) experienced unstable housing or were living homeless at the time of diagnosis. Among the 1,658 (70%) people with an available HIV-1 pol gene sequence, 1,071 (65%) were identified to be part of 296 genetic clusters.

Post-migration HIV acquisition among african immigrants in the U.S.

Background: African immigrants in the U.S. are more likely to have a late HIV diagnosis than U.

"They Wait until the Disease Has Taking over You and the Doctors Cannot Do Anything about It": Qualitative Insights from Harambee! 2.0.

African immigrants make up a large subgroup of Black/African-Americans in the US. However, because African immigrant groups are typically categorized as "Black," little is known about their preventative healthcare needs. Differences in culture, life and healthcare experiences between African immigrant populations and US-born people may influence preventive health care uptake.

Detection and Response to an HIV Cluster: People Living Homeless and Using Drugs in Seattle, Washington.

Introduction: The HIV epidemic in King County, Washington has traditionally been highly concentrated among men who have sex with men, and incidence has gradually declined over 2 decades. In 2018, King County experienced a geographically concentrated outbreak of HIV among heterosexual people who inject drugs.

Methods: Data sources to describe the 2018 outbreak and King County's response were partner services interview data, HIV case reports, syringe service program client surveys, hospital data, and data from a rapid needs assessment of homeless individuals and people who inject drugs.

A Pilot TB Screening Model in a U.S. Prison Population Using Tuberculin Skin Test and Interferon Gamma Release Assay Based on Country of Origin.

The objective of this study was to compare tuberculosis (TB) screening results before and after implementation of a stratified testing strategy screening pilot study, incorporating interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) and tuberculin skin test (TST), based on country of origin. In 2015, the Washington State Department of Corrections began screening people born outside of the United States for TB with IGRA, while U.S.

Partner Elicitation After Partner Services Interviews and Reinterviews Among Patients With Antimicrobial-Resistant Gonorrhea.

Background: Partner notification services (PS) are often used to control sexually transmitted infections, but their effectiveness is limited by patients' reluctance to name sex partners. We hypothesized that being notified of having antimicrobial-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae (ARGC) would make patients more likely to provide named partner information.

Methods: We used King County, Washington STD surveillance and Strengthening the US Response to Resistant Gonorrhea data to identify gonorrhea cases.

Outcomes of Traditional and Enhanced Gonorrhea Partner Services in the Strengthening the US Response to Resistant Gonorrhea Project, 2017 to 2019.

Introduction: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention implemented Strengthening the US Response to Resistant Gonorrhea (SURRG) to build local detection and response capacity and evaluate responses to antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea outbreaks, including partner services for gonorrhea. We evaluated outcomes of traditional partner services conducted under SURRG, which involved (1) counseling index patients and eliciting sexual partners; (2) interviewing, testing, and treating partners; and (3) providing partner services to partners newly diagnosed with gonorrhea. We also evaluated outcomes of enhanced partner services, which additionally involved interviewing and testing partners of persons who tested negative, and social contacts of index patients and partners.

Differences in HIV Risk and Prevention Among Cisgender Latino Sexual Minority Men by Language of Online Survey Completion: Analysis of National and Washington State Data.

Internet-based surveys can be programmed and advertised in multiple languages to reach non-English-speaking individuals, but it is unclear the extent to which this enhances the diversity of participants and supports inclusion of individuals at higher risk for HIV. We sought to examine how language of survey completion (English or Spanish) was associated with sociodemographic characteristics and indicators of HIV risk and prevention among cisgender Latino sexual minority men (SMM). We analyzed national and Washington State data using the Understanding New Infections through Targeted Epidemiology (UNITE) Cohort Study (2017 and 2018) and the Washington HIV/STI Prevention Project (WHSPP) survey (2017 and 2018/2019), respectively.