Prevalence of five curable sexually transmitted infections and associated risk factors among tertiary student men who have sex with men in Nairobi, Kenya: a respondent-driven sampling survey

• Published in: Sexual health Vol. 20; no. 2; pp. 105 - 117
• Main Authors: Mwaniki, Samuel Waweru, Kaberia, Peter Mwenda, Mugo, Peter Mwangi, Palanee-Phillips, Thesla
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia CSIRO 01.01.2023
• Subjects: Anorectal; Asymptomatic; Chlamydia; Chlamydia Infections - diagnosis; Chlamydia Infections - epidemiology; Chlamydia trachomatis; Condoms; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Gonorrhea; Gonorrhea - diagnosis; Gonorrhea - epidemiology; High risk; HIV; Homosexuality, Male; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infections; Kenya - epidemiology; Male; Men who have sex with men; Mycoplasma genitalium; Mycoplasma Infections - diagnosis; Mycoplasma Infections - epidemiology; Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Oral sex; Peers; Polls & surveys; Prevalence; Prevention programs; Qualitative research; Questionnaires; Risk Factors; Sample size; Sampling; Seeds; Serology; Sex; Sexual and Gender Minorities; Sexual behavior; Sexually transmitted diseases; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - diagnosis; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - epidemiology; STD; Students; Surveys; Surveys and Questionnaires; Syphilis; Syphilis - epidemiology; Treatment needs; Trichomonas Infections - epidemiology; Trichomoniasis; Urine tests; Young men; Kenya; Nairobi Kenya; South Africa; Tanzania
• ISSN: 1448-5028; 1449-8987
• DOI: 10.1071/SH22114

Young men who have sex with men (MSM) are a key population at high risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We conducted a respondent-driven sampling (RDS) bio-behavioural survey to estimate the prevalence of five curable STIs: chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, trichomoniasis and Mycoplasma genitalium infection, and associated risk factors among tertiary student MSM (TSMSM) in Nairobi, Kenya. Between February and March 2021, we recruited 248 TSMSM aged ≥18years who self-reported engaging in anal and/or oral sex with another man in the past year. Samples collected included urine, anorectal and oropharyngeal swabs for pooled Chlamydia trachomatis , Mycoplasma genitalium , Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Trichomonas vaginalis testing using multiplex nucleic acid amplification tests, and venous blood for serological Treponema pallidum screening and confirmation of current infection. Participants self-completed a behavioural survey on a REDCap digital platform. Data analysis was done using RDS-Analyst (v0.72) and Stata (v15). Differences in proportions were examined using the chi-squared (χ 2 ) test, and unweighted multivariate logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with STI prevalence. RDS-adjusted prevalence rates of at least one of the five STIs, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, Mycoplasma genitalium infection, trichomoniasis and latent syphilis were 58.8%, 51.0%, 11.3%, 6.0%, 1.5% and 0.7%, respectively. Factors independently associated with STI prevalence were inconsistent condom use (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=1.89, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03-3.47, P =0.038) and the last sex partner being a regular partner (AOR=2.35, 95% CI: 1.12-4.92, P =0.023). STI prevalence among TSMSM in Nairobi, Kenya, is disturbingly high, demonstrating urgent need for tailored testing, treatment and prevention interventions for this population.