Seventeen percent of people living in the city of Barcelona who are diagnosed with a bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) become reinfected. This is shown by a study conducted by researchers at the Jordi Gol Primary Care Research Institute (IDIAPJGol), published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior. The study analyzes data from 9,927 people diagnosed with bacterial STIs in Barcelona between 2007 and 2018, including syphilis, gonorrhea, and lymphogranuloma venereum, a chronic infection caused by certain strains of Chlamydia.

The study highlights a higher risk of repeated STIs among young people (under 34 years), men who have sex with men, transgender people, and trans women, as well as among people living with HIV and those with a first diagnosis of gonorrhea, especially lymphogranuloma venereum.

More repeat STIs among people born in Spain

Although other studies in Barcelona report a higher incidence of STIs among people born abroad, the study published in Archives of Sexual Behavior shows that the incidence of repeat STIs is higher among people born in Spain. This result is likely due to the underdiagnosis of HIV infection among the immigrant population in Catalonia. Additionally, some studies show that immigrant populations face more barriers to accessing health services, experience greater discrimination, and have other issues that increase their vulnerability.

“To prevent reinfections, prevention programs should be strengthened among young people diagnosed with a first STI,” says Constanza Jacques, a researcher at the Transversal Research Unit of IDIAPJGol and first author of the study. To achieve this, Jacques calls for the involvement of the education sector and health professionals in promoting sexual-affective health programs, which should integrate structural and social determinants from school age.

The researcher adds that interventions should consider the needs of this population from the perspective of sexual and gender diversity, with an anti-racist approach. “Understanding this data and how to manage sexuality within the framework of pleasure and risk are important challenges for both professionals and the general public,” concludes Jacques.

Article reference

Jacques-Aviñó, C., Alarcón Gutiérrez, M., Barbera, M.J. et al. Epidemiological Characteristics and Factors Associated with Repeat Sexually Transmitted Infections in Barcelona, Spain Over a Decade. Arch Sex Behav (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02711-6