Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40349204›Full record

ArticleJournal of public health (Oxford, England)2025

The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on sexually transmitted infections and the modifying role of public health funding: an interrupted time series study.

Naomi Schwartz, Stephen Hunter, Samantha M Forbes, Dionne Gesink, Erin Hobin, Laura N Anderson, Steven Rebellato, Roman Pabayo, Brendan T Smith

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of public health (Oxford, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
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

9 authors.

Naomi SchwartzPublic Heath Ontario, 661 University Avenue, Suite 1701, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada.
Stephen HunterSchool of Public Health, University of Alberta, 3-300 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada.
Samantha M ForbesPublic Heath Ontario, 661 University Avenue, Suite 1701, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada.
Dionne GesinkDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St Room 500, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada.
Erin HobinPublic Heath Ontario, 661 University Avenue, Suite 1701, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada.
Laura N AndersonHealth Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada.
Steven RebellatoSimcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, 15 Sperling Drive, Barrie, ON L4M 6K9, Canada.
Roman PabayoSchool of Public Health, University of Alberta, 3-300 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada.
Brendan T SmithPublic Heath Ontario, 661 University Avenue, Suite 1701, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada.

Funding

Canadian Institute of Health Research PJT-468611
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis study investigated whether the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with changes in sexually transmitted infection (STI) incidence and trajectories in Ontario, Canada and the modifying role of public health funding for infectious and communicable diseases (ICD).

methodsA repeated cross-sectional study was conducted using population-level age and sex standardized incidence of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and infectious syphilis by public health unit (PHU) in Ontario from January 2015-October 2022. A negative binomial regression interrupted time series analysis estimated trends in STI incidence rates pre- and post-pandemic-onset and whether associations differed by public health ICD funding per capita.

resultsThere was an immediate reduction post- compared to pre-pandemic onset in chlamydia (Rate Ratio (RR) = 0.27, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.21-0.35), gonorrhea (RR = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.02-0.94), and syphilis (RR = 0.16, 95% CI: 0.02-1.18). Post-pandemic onset, a dollar increase in PHU's ICD funding per capita was associated with greater incidence of chlamydia (RR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.08-1.12), gonorrhea (RR = 1.14, 95% CI: 0.99-1.32) and syphilis (RR = 1.11, 95% CI: 0.97-1.28). Following this initial drop, trends in STI incidence did not differ importantly by ICD funding.

conclusionsFindings are consistent with a role of public health funding in mitigating observed decreases in STIs. Results suggest that public health funding plays a role in maintaining STI detection services during a public health emergency.

Indexed as

COVID-19Public HealthSexually Transmitted DiseasesAdolescentAdultChlamydia InfectionsCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleGonorrheaHumansIncidenceInterrupted Time Series AnalysisMaleOntarioPandemicsSARS-CoV-2chlamydiaCOVID-19 pandemicGonorrheapublic health fundingsexually transmitted infectionssyphilis

Identifiers

PMID40349204
PMCPMC12395938

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.