Schwebke JR, Handsfield HH, Raisys V; International Conference on AIDS.

Int Conf AIDS. 1992 Jul 19-24; 8: 187 (abstract no. PuC 8205).

University of Washington, Seattle.

OBJECTIVE: Anecdotal reports and a few studies have linked syphilis, and to a lesser extent gonorrhea, with illicit drug use. This study was designed to explore the association of several STDs with an objective indicator of drug use. METHODS: Demographic characteristics and diagnosis (based on initial evaluation, prior to definitive laboratory results) were correlated with urine drug testing in 459 consecutive patients at an urban STD Clinic. After removing identifiers from urine specimens and all data, urine was tested for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), opiates, cocaine, and amphetamines. RESULTS: 140 patients (30.5%) had urine positive for greater than or equal to 1 drug or admitted to drug use: marijuana/THC 22%, cocaine 11%, opiates 5%, amphetamines 1%. Use of any drug was documented in 45 (25%) of 183 patients with no STD and 95 (34%) of 276 with greater than or equal to 1 STD (1.6, 1.1-2.4 [OR,CI95]). In univariate analyses, use of greater than or equal to 1 drug was associated with gonorrhea (3.1, 1.4-6.9), genital herpes (2.6, 1.0-6.3), and any bacterial STD (1.6, 1.0-2.5), but not with nongonococcal urethritis and related syndromes, trichomoniasis, or bacterial vaginosis. Black race was the strongest predictor of drug use (P = 0.001), and in multivariate analyses controlling for race, young age, sex, and sexual orientation, only genital herpes was clearly associated (3.2, 1.2-8.5) and gonorrhea was weakly associated (2.3, 0.9-6.0) with drug use. These associations were strongest for marijuana/THC and weak or nonexistent for other drugs. Only 6 patients had syphilis, precluding meaningful analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Many STDs, not only gonorrhea and syphilis, are associated with illicit drug use or sex in association with drugs. However, most STDs were more strongly associated with race/ethnicity, young age, and sex than drug use. Blinded urine drug testing is a useful technique to study associations between drug use and STD.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Ambulatory Care Facilities
• Association
• Cocaine
• Crack Cocaine
• Female
• Gonorrhea
• Herpes Genitalis
• Humans
• Male
• Sexual Behavior
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Substance Abuse Detection
• Substance-Related Disorders
• Syphilis
• Urethritis
• toxicity
• urine

Other ID:

• 92403898

UI: 102201612

From Meeting Abstracts