Avaliação das prevalências de Neisseria gonorrhoeae e Chlamydia trachomatis em swabs anal e oral e jato médio de urina de pacientes vivendo com HIV e acompanhados nos ambulatórios de infectologia geral do HUCFF/UFRJ

Abstract

Chlamydia and gonorrhea are sexually transmitted infections caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, respectively, and are the most common bacterial STIs in the United States according to the CDC. The Brazilian Ministry of Health recommends screening for people living with HIV only at the time of diagnoses. The recommendation is to detect pathogens by molecular biology in clinical specimens compatible with exposure (urine, vaginal or endocervical, rectal and oral organ samples). One justification for the present study was to know the prevalence of infection by Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in the general infectious diseases clinics at HUCFF/UFRJ. Between March and October 2024, 82 patients living with HIV from the HUCFF infectious disease outpatient clinics were recruited to investigate infection with N. gonorrhea and C. trachomatis in urine, anal/vaginal swabs and oral swabs. A portion of patients (6.7.3%) tested positive for at least one of the pathogens screened, 5 men and 1 woman. In these, a median age of 39 years was observed (1st quarter 26 – 3rd quarter 44), considerably lower than the rest of the studied population (53 years, 1st quarter 44 – 3rd quarter 60). All men in this group reported homosexual relationships, while only the female patient reported heterosexual relationships. All patients whose clinical samples revealed positive results for NG/CT were asymptomatic. This data contributes to affirming the objective of the present study, which aims to investigate the infection even in the absence of symptoms. The identification of this infection is crucial for the implementation of appropriate interventions, allowing the interruption of the transmission chain and complication rates.