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. 2022 Sep;27(39):2100618.
doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2022.27.39.2100618.

Use of healthcare reimbursement data to monitor bacterial sexually transmitted infection testing in France, 2006 to 2020

Delphine Viriot  1 , Etienne Lucas  1 , Bertille de Barbeyrac  2 , Cécile Bébéar  2 , Sébastien Fouéré  3 , Nicolas Dupin  4 , Antoine Bertolotti  5 , Béatrice Berçot  6 , Charles Cazanave  2   7 , Gilles Delmas  1 , Josiane Pillonel  1 , Florence Lot  1 , Ndeindo Ndeikoundam Ngangro  1
Affiliations

Use of healthcare reimbursement data to monitor bacterial sexually transmitted infection testing in France, 2006 to 2020

Delphine Viriot et al. Euro Surveill. 2022 Sep.

Erratum in

  • Author's correction for Euro Surveill. 2022;27(39).
    Eurosurveillance editorial team. Eurosurveillance editorial team. Euro Surveill. 2022 Oct;27(42):221020c. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2022.27.42.221020c. Euro Surveill. 2022. PMID: 36268738 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

Abstract

BackgroundDiagnoses of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have increased in France since the 2000s. The main strategy to control STI transmission is recommending/facilitating access to condom use, testing, and antibiotic treatments.AimThis study analyses the evolution of STI testing in the private sector in France from 2006 to 2020.MethodsNational health insurance reimbursement data were used to determine numbers and rates of individuals aged ≥ 15 years tested for diagnoses of chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis in the private sector in France and to describe their evolution from 2006 to 2020.ResultsUpward tendencies in testing were observed from 2006 to 2019 for all three STIs. The highest testing rates were identified in people aged 25‒29-years old. The observed testing-increase from 2017 to 2019 was twice as high in young people (< 25 years old) as in older people. In 2019, chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis testing rates were respectively 45.4 (+ 21% since 2017), 41.3 (+ 60%), and 47.2 (+ 22%) per 1,000 inhabitants. For all STIs combined, the number of tested individuals decreased by 37% between March and April 2020 during the first COVID-19 epidemic wave and lockdown in France.ConclusionImprovements found in STI testing rates may have resulted from better awareness, especially among young people and health professionals, of the importance of testing, following prevention campaigns. Nevertheless, testing levels remain insufficient considering increasing diagnoses. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had a considerable impact on STI testing. Partner notification and offering diverse testing opportunities including self-sampling are essential to control STI epidemics particularly in exposed populations.

Keywords: COVID-19 impact; STI; chlamydia infection; gonorrhoea; syphilis; testing.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Testing rates for chlamydia per 1,000 inhabitants by year, sex, and age group, National Health Data System, France, 2006–2020 (n = 25,146,456 individuals tested)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Standardised testing rates for chlamydia by region, National Health Data System, France, 2019 (n = 2,493,962 individuals tested)
Figure 3
Figure 3
Testing rates for gonorrhoea per 1,000 inhabitants by year, sex, and age group. National Health Data System, France, 2006–2020 (n = 19,948,443 individuals tested)
Figure 4
Figure 4
Standardised testing rates for gonorrhoea by region, National Health Data System, France, 2019 (n = 2,266,344 individuals tested)
Figure 5
Figure 5
Testing rates for syphilis per 1,000 inhabitants by year, sex, and age group. National Health Data System, France, 2006–2020 (n = 24,461,232 individuals tested)
Figure 6
Figure 6
Standardised testing rates for syphilis by region, National Health Data System, France, 2019 (n = 2,592,522 individuals tested)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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