Analyses of Human papillomavirus, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, herpes simplex virus 2 and coinfections among male outpatients in Kunming, China

Abstract

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as human papillomavirus (HPV), Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) significantly affect male reproductive health. Coinfections among these pathogens may aggravate disease severity, yet data on their prevalence among male outpatients remain scarce. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of UU, HSV2, NG, CT, and HPV infections and coinfections in the external genitalia of male outpatients in Kunming, Yunnan. HPV genotyping was performed using PCR and Sanger sequencing, while other pathogens were detected using real-time quantitative PCR. Relevant medical records were obtained from the hospital information system. Statistical analyses were conducted to examine associations between coinfections and clinical characteristics. The prevalence rates for UU, HSV-2, NG, CT, and HPV infections in the external genitalia of male outpatients were 33.31 %, 27.04 %, 23.11 %, 11.70 %, and 8.25 %, respectively. The most common coinfection was NG+UU (14.81 %), followed by CT+UU (4.02 %) and CT+NG (1.45 %). Coinfection rates for HSV2 with UU, CT, and NG were 5.35 %, 0.58 %, and 2.03 %, respectively. HPV coinfection rates with UU, CT, NG, and HSV2 were 3.30 %, 0.62 %, 3.57 %, and 0.00 %, respectively. The five most common HPV subtypes were HPV 43, 52, 56, 58, and 33. This study highlights the high prevalence of STIs and coinfections among male outpatients in Kunming, underscoring the urgent need for improved screening and prevention strategies to address these widespread health concerns.

Keywords: Coinfections; Human papillomavirus; Male outpatients; Sexually transmitted infections.