genital warts
Sexually transmitted infections and use of sexual health services among young Australian women: women's health Australia study.

Schofield MJ, Minichiello V, Mishra GD, Plummer D, Savage J.

School of Health, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia.

Our objective was to examine associations between self-reported sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and sociodemographic, lifestyle, health status, health service use and quality of life factors among young Australian women; and their use of family planning and sexual health clinics and associations with health, demographic and psychosocial factors. The study sample comprised 14,762 women aged 18-23 years who participated in the mailed baseline survey for the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, conducted in 1996. The main outcome measures are self report of ever being diagnosed by a doctor with an STI, including chlamydia, genital herpes, genital warts or other STIs, and use of family planning and sexual health clinics. The self-reported incidence of STI was 1.7% for chlamydia, 1.1% genital herpes, 3.1% genital warts, and 2.1% other STIs. There was a large number of demographic, health behaviour, psychosocial and health service use factors significantly and independently associated with reports of having had each STI. Factors independently associated with use of family planning clinic included unemployment, current smoking, having had a Pap smear less than 2 years ago, not having ancillary health insurance, having consulted a hospital doctor and having higher stress and life events score. Factors independently associated with use of a sexual health clinic included younger age, lower occupation status, being a current or ex-smoker, being a binge drinker, having had a Pap smear, having consulted a hospital doctor, having poorer mental health and having higher life events score. This study reports interesting correlates of having an STI among young Australian women aged 18-23. The longitudinal nature of this study provides the opportunity to explore the long-term health and gynaecological outcomes of having STIs during young adulthood.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10824940&dopt=Abstract genital wart


genital warts
The lived experience of genital warts: the Swedish example.

Hammarlund K, Nystrom M.

Department of Health Science, University of Skovde, Skovde, Sweden. kina.hammarlund ihv.his.se

Our aim in this study was to analyze and describe young Swedish women's experiences of living with genital warts. Interviews with 10 young women, aged 16-21 years, were interpreted within a lifeworld hermeneutic tradition. The women experience themselves as victims of a disgusting disease. Furthermore, they appear to disregard the fact that their own lifestyles could be a risk factor for contracting venereal infections. On the other hand they get to know their bodies better after the gynecological examinations where the treatment begins. Their loss of innocence is considerable; thus it seems fair to compare this experience with earlier epochs' ideas about loss of virginity due to the first intercourse. Consequently the young women also start looking at themselves as adults, and they take responsibility for the consequences of their sexuality.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15204815&dopt=Abstract genital wart


genital warts
Patterns of treatment and resource utilization in the treatment of external genital warts in England and Wales.

Langley PC, White DJ, Drake SM.

3M Pharmaceuticals, 3M Center, St Paul, MN 55125, USA. pclangley1 mmm.com

Our objective was to identify patterns of treatment and resources used in achieving complete clearance of external genital warts (EGWs) A retrospective case note review was carried out at six genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics in the UK. Case notes from 2366 patients presenting with EGWs were reviewed and 1200 patients with complete episodes of care were identified. Analysis showed that staff-applied therapy dominated treatment practice but there was considerable diversity in treatment modalities across study sites. The average number of visits was 5.71 visits for males: 6.25 visits for females but a substantial minority of patients attended significantly in excess of these averages. Approximately two-thirds of patients failed to achieve complete clearance of warts with their initial therapy. There is little consistency in treatment patterns of care for EGWs across the sites studied. Initial therapy choices are largely ineffective, requiring changes in treatment modality and multiple clinic visits. Increased utilization of patient-applied therapies might result in increased cost effectiveness.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15228733&dopt=Abstract genital wart


genital warts
Cryotherapy for treatment of anogenital warts.

Rosenberg A, Yates JM.

Infectious Disease Clinic, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.

Human papillomavirus is a group of viruses that produce anogenital warts for which there is no cure. Untreated anogenital warts can spread and form large clusters that are bothersome, painful, and embarrassing to the patient as well as being a significant health risk. One of the infectious disease clinics of the authors' hospital sees an average of 200 HIV-positive individuals per month. Approximately 10% of these patients have anogenital warts. The attending physicians asked the clinical nursing staff if they would be willing to be trained to remove these warts using cryotherapy techniques, if patient efforts at other remedies failed. This request provoked a decision-making challenge for the staff. This article will describe the decision-making process and conclude with the procedure that was created as a result of the decision making.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15538018&dopt=Abstract genital wart


genital warts
Epidemiological characteristics of human herpesvirus-8 infection in a large population of antenatal women in Zambia.

Klaskala W, Brayfield BP, Kankasa C, Bhat G, West JT, Mitchell CD, Wood C.

Nebraska Center for Virology and the School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, 1901 Vine Street, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA.

Comprehensive data describing epidemiological characteristics of the human herpesvirus-8 or Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (HHV-8 or KSHV) infection among pregnant women in a central sub-Saharan Africa are not available. This study determined virus prevalence estimates and the risk factors associated with HHV-8 infection. Cross-sectional, enrollment visit data were analyzed from a prospective cohort study of perinatal transmission of HHV-8 in Lusaka, Zambia. Exposure data were obtained via structured interview, physical examination, medical chart review, and laboratory testing. Among 3,160 antenatal women serologically screened for HHV-8 between September 1998 and October 2000, 40.2% were seropositive. The HHV-8 positive women were more likely to be co-infected with HIV-1 than those who were HHV-8 negative (34% vs. 26%; P < 0.0001). Of 154 variables evaluated by logistic regression analyses, only three risk factors, have emerged as independent predictors of HHV-8 positive serology: diagnosis of genital warts, HIV-1 co-infection and primary education. The association of HHV-8 infection with genital warts and HIV-1 co-infection suggests heterosexual transmission of HHV-8. HIV-1 infection may also act as a marker for particular behaviors, which could be sexual in nature, that are associated with both HIV-1 and HHV-8 transmission. Since HHV-8 facilitates development of AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), the results of this study could be utilized to identify specific population groups of pregnant women who are at increased risk for this disease. Copyright 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15543582&dopt=Abstract genital wart