Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32033533›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2020

STI in times of PrEP: high prevalence of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and mycoplasma at different anatomic sites in men who have sex with men in Germany.

Klaus Jansen, Gyde Steffen, Anja Potthoff, Ann-Kathrin Schuppe, Daniel Beer, Heiko Jessen, Stefan Scholten, Petra Spornraft-Ragaller, Viviane Bremer, Carsten Tiemann and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 73 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
73citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
15.8field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

73 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 178 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. German evidence- and consensus-based guideline on the management of penile urethritis.Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft = Journal of the German Society of Dermatology : JDDG · 2025
    Guideline
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Trial
  5. Analysis of minimum inhibitory concentrations of azithromycin, ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin forEuro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin · 2026
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Cabotegravir Maintains Protective Efficacy in the Setting of Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infections: A Secondary Analysis of HPTN 083.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2026
    Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Testing paradox may explain increased observed prevalence of bacterial STIs among MSM on HIV PrEP: A modeling study.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025
    Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Observational
  18. Prevalence of Site-SpecificInfection and drug resistance · 2025
    Article
  19. Article
  20. Article

13 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Klaus JansenRobert Koch Institute, Unit for HIV/AIDS, STI and Blood-borne Infections, Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Seestrasse 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany. jansenk@rki.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4878-9421
Gyde SteffenRobert Koch Institute, Unit for HIV/AIDS, STI and Blood-borne Infections, Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Seestrasse 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
Anja PotthoffWalk in Ruhr (WIR), Centre for Sexual Health and Medicine, Clinic of the Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany.
Ann-Kathrin SchuppeLabor Krone/Labcon-OWL, Bad Salzuflen, Germany.
Daniel BeerPraxis/Labor Dr. med. Heribert Knechten, Aachen, Germany.
Heiko JessenPraxis Jessen2, Berlin, Germany.
Stefan ScholtenPraxis Hohenstaufenring, Köln, Germany.
Petra Spornraft-RagallerDepartment of Dermatology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Viviane BremerRobert Koch Institute, Unit for HIV/AIDS, STI and Blood-borne Infections, Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Seestrasse 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
Carsten TiemannLabor Krone/Labcon-OWL, Bad Salzuflen, Germany.
MSM Screening Study group
Robert Koch Institute · DELaboratory Krone · DEOrthopädische Praxis · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMen who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionally affected by sexually transmitted infections (STI). STI are often extragenital and asymptomatic. Both can delay diagnosis and treatment. Approval of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) might have influenced sexual behaviour and STI-prevalence of HIV- MSM. We estimated STI-prevalence and risk factors amongst HIV- and HIV+ MSM in Germany to plan effective interventions.

methodsWe conducted a nationwide, cross-sectional study between February and July 2018. Thirteen MSM-friendly STI-practices screened MSM for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), Neisseria gonorrhea (NG), and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) using self-collected rectal and pharyngeal swabs, and urine samples. APTIMA™ STI-assays (Hologic™ Inc., San Diego, USA) were used for diagnostics, and samples were not pooled. We collected information on socio-demographics, HIV-status, clinical symptoms, sexual behaviour within the last 6 months, and PrEP use. We combined HIV status and PrEP use for defining risk groups, and used directed acyclic graphs and multivariable logistic regression to identify risk factors for STI.

resultsTwo thousand three hundred three MSM were included: 50.5% HIV+, median age 39 [18-79] years. Median number of male sex partners within the last 6 months was five. Sex without condom was reported by 73.6%, use of party drugs by 44.6%. 80.3% had a STI history, 32.2% of STI+ MSM reported STI-related symptoms. 27.6% of HIV- MSM used PrEP. Overall STI-prevalence was 30.1, 25.0% in HIV-/PrEP- MSM (CT:7.2%; MG:14.2%; NG:7.4%; TV:0%), 40.3% in HIV-/PrEP+ MSM (CT:13.8%; MG:19.4%; NG:14.8%; TV:0.4%), and 30.8% in HIV+ MSM (CT:10.1%; MG:18.4%; NG:8.6%; TV:0.1%). Being HIV+ (OR 1.7, 95%-CI 1.3-2.2), using PrEP (OR 2.0, 95%-CI 1.5-2.7), having > 5 sex partners (OR:1.65; 95%-CI:1.32-2.01.9), having condomless sex (OR:2.11.9; 95%-CI:1.65-2.86), and using party drugs (OR:1.65; 95%-CI:1.32-2.0) were independent risk factors for being tested positive for at least one STI.

conclusionsWe found a high STI-prevalence in MSM in Germany, especially in PrEP users, frequently being asymptomatic. As a relevant proportion of PrEP users will not use a condom, counselling and comprehensive STI screening is essential and should be low threshold and preferably free of cost. Counselling of PrEP users should also address use of party drugs.

Indexed as

Homosexuality, MalePre-Exposure ProphylaxisSexual and Gender MinoritiesAdolescentAdultAgedChlamydia InfectionsChlamydia trachomatisCondomsCounselingCross-Sectional StudiesGermanyGonorrheaHIV InfectionsHumansMaleChlamydia trachomatisHIVMSMMycoplasma genitaliumNeisseria gonorrhoeaePrEPPrevalence

Identifiers

PMID32033533
PMCPMC7007644
OpenAlexW3006329627

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.