STI studies 性病研究

 

Sexually transmitted infections (STI) refers to a group of infections primarily transmitted through sexual contacts. They include common bacterial infections like Syphilis, Chlamydia, gonorrhoea and trichomoniasis. Globally there are an estimated 1 million STI infections occurring each day. Though curable, bacterial STIs are continuing to spread rapidly in the community. Delayed/missed diagnosis and late or erroneous treatment have led to the development of complications and emergence of resistance bacteria, notably gonorrhea. More recently, sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus has led to outbreaks among men who have sex with men (MSM)

The occurrence of STI, especially ulcerative ones, may predispose to HIV transmission. On the other hand, HIV/STI co-infection is common because of the shared route of transmission. Control of sexual transmission of HIV cannot be effectively achieved without addressing the parallel spread of STI. As curable condition with antibiotics, screening and early treatment of STIs is in fact one means of contributing to the control of HIV dissemination. STI research is therefore becoming an important part of studies for HIV prevention.   

『性病』是一系列主要經由性傳播的疾病的統稱。性病包含常見的細菌性感染，例如梅毒、衣原體感染、淋病和滴蟲病。現時估計全球每天發生一百萬宗性病。細菌所致的性病一般可以治愈，但是仍然在社群中急促散播。延誤診斷、漏診、延遲和錯誤的性病治療往往引起併發症和導致抗藥細菌滋生。最近在男男性接觸者之間的丙型肝炎爆發，也是經性傳播產生。

性病，尤其是潰瘍性的性病，可以促使愛滋病毒傳播。另一方面，由於傳播途徑相同，愛滋病毒和性病菌的共同感染亦經常發生。要有效控制愛滋病毒傳播，不能不著眼於同步擴散的性病。由於可以用抗生素治療，性病篩檢和及早治療都是有效間接控制愛滋病毒傳播的方法。性病研究也逐漸成為預防愛滋病毒感染的一個環節。

性在有得醫

Project STIMon 『測測芒』項目

研究目的 Aim and objectives

本研究項目進行定期性病/愛滋病毒感染 (STI/HIV) 檢測，分析其對男男性接觸者(MSM)社群的影響。

本研究有三項目標：

  1. 探討MSM以自行採樣方法進行STI / HIV測試的可行性
  2. 分析MSM對定期STI / HIV測試的依從性模式
  3. 評估堅持定期做STI / HIV測試與感染風險之間的關聯

香港中文大學–新界東醫院聯網臨床研究倫理聯席委員會已批核是項研究（參考編號：2019.167），被授權在有需要時審視參加者個人資料藉以評估研究倫理。

The project aims to assess the impacts of regular sexually transmitted infections (STI)/HIV screening in men who have sex with men (MSM) in Hong Kong.

The objectives are, to:

  1. determine the feasibility of a self-sampling approach for STI/HIV screening in MSM
  2. characterise the adherence pattern of MSM to regular STI/HIV screening
  3. evaluate the association between adherence to STI/HIV screening and risk exposure in MSM

The Joint Chinese University of Hong Kong-New Territories East Cluster Clinical Research Ethics Committee has approved this study (Ref. No.: 2019.167) and is authorised to access the participants’ records related to the study for ethics review purpose.

請注意：此項研究可招募人數經已滿額。多謝支持!
受新型冠狀病毒疫情影響，此項研究在招募安排上已經作出修改，藉以減少人流和人群聚集。請參加者必須特別注意相關步驟，不便之處，敬請原諒。

Please note: The recruitment quota of this study has been full. Thanks for your support!
In view of the novel coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), procedures for enrolment of participants for the study have been revised, so as to reduce the number of attendees for achieving social distancing. Participants are urged to pay special attention to the arrangement.  We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

研究設計 Study design

參加者接受約一年的觀察。在第一次訪問中填答一份網上調查問卷，然後研究人員會為您進行STI / HIV檢測基線抽樣。其後參與者每月須填答一份簡單網上調查問卷、每3個月進行一次STI / HIV檢測（包括即時檢測及自行採樣），最後完成退出評估。

Participants will be followed up for around 1 year. At baseline, participants are invited to complete an online questionnaire. Baseline sampling would be performed by research staff for STI/HIV testing. At follow-ups, participants have to complete monthly simple online questionnaire, test for STI/HIV (point-of-care test and self-sampling) every 3 months, and complete an exit assessment afterwards.

參加資格 Eligibility criteria

參加者須：

  1. 為十八歲或以上男性
  2. 12個月裡與男性發生過性關係
  3. 經常在港居住
  4. 愛滋病毒感染呈陰性
  5. 能用英語或中文進行交流

To join the study, one must:

  1. male of age of 18 or above;
  2. have had sex with men in the past 12 months;
  3. normally living in Hong Kong;
  4. self-reported HIV negative with a history of negative testing result;
  5. could communicate in written and spoken English or Chinese

 

研究流程 Flow chart of the study

1. Questionnaire 問卷

  • Baseline questionnaire 基線問卷
  • Simple follow-up questionnaire 簡單的跟進問卷
  • Exit assessment 退出評估

2. Regular testing 定期檢測:

  • HIV愛滋病毒
  • Syphilis梅毒
  • Chlamydia衣原體
  • Gonorrhea淋病

When 幾時?

3 monthly 三個月一次

How 如何測試?

Self-collection of samples, which are tested by laboratory 自行採集樣本，然後由實驗室做測試:

  • Fingerprick指刺 (拮手指)
  • Urine collection尿液收集
  • Pharyngeal swab咽拭子
  • Anal swab肛門拭子

Where 在哪裡做測試?

At the research clinic在研究診所

注意：有興趣者可以電郵聯絡 info@nonewhiv.hk  查詢詳情。Attention: Interested person may contact info@nonewhiv.hk for details.

 

請注意：此項研究可招募人數經已滿額。多謝支持!
受新型冠狀病毒疫情影響，此項研究在招募安排上已經作出修改，藉以減少人流和人群聚集。請參加者必須特別注意相關步驟，不便之處，敬請原諒。

Please note: The recruitment quota of this study has been full. Thanks for your support!
In view of the novel coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), procedures for enrolment of participants for the study have been revised, so as to reduce the number of attendees for achieving social distancing. Participants are urged to pay special attention to the arrangement.  We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

香港中文大學何鴻燊防治傳染病研究中心
Stanley Ho Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases, The Chinese University of Hong Kong