Societal factors contributing to infections caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in a veteran population

Abstract

Background: Veterans have a higher incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) compared to the general population. The objective of this study is to evaluate the association of societal factors on the risk of chlamydia or gonorrhea. Methods: This retrospective cohort study evaluated data from Veteran Health Administration. Patients tested for chlamydia or gonorrhea between January 2009 and January 2019 were included. Descriptive statistics and regression were used to evaluate societal factors. Results: A total of 1,232,173 tests for chlamydia or gonorrhea were performed. There were 51,987 (4.2%) positive cases with 74.18% for chlamydia and 24.96% for gonorrhea. In 13.6% of veterans with reported military sexual trauma, there was no difference in risk of positivity ( p = 0.39). Veterans with a history of combat had lower odds of testing positive (OR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.91–0.97). Tests in veterans who were married had a 24% less chance of positivity (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.74–0.79) compared to tests in divorced veterans. Positive number of cases increased each year. Conclusion: Sexually transmitted infections are a growing concern. Gender, age, ethnicity, marital status, and race are societal identifiers which influence likelihood of STI acquisition.