STI Podcast

Mycoplasma Genitalium: Easy to detect, hard to treat

In this podcast, we focus on the bacterial genitourinary pathogen Mycoplasma genitalium (MGEN). We have known this pathogen for a long-time but only in recent years we have been testing and treating more frequently for this bacteria. In this conversation with Dr Fabiola Martin, STI's Podcast editor, Dr Emma Sweeney, Prof Catriona Bradshaw and Prof Nicola Low provide a clinical and research update on MGEN. Dr Emma Sweeney is a Postdoctoral researcher, The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Brisbane, Australia. Prof Catriona Bradshaw is a Clinician researcher based at Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Melbourne, Australia. Prof Nicola Low is an Infectious disease epidemiologist, leading the Sexual and Reproductive Health Research Group at the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland.
Read the blog post: https://blogs.bmj.com/sti/2022/04/06/mgen/
Some relevant papers published by STI:
Adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes, 2022, Frenzer C, Egli-Gany D, Vallely L, et al. https://sti.bmj.com/content/early/2022/03/28/sextrans-2021-055352
Prevalence in different populations, 2018, Baumann L, Cina M, Egli-Gany D, et al. https://sti.bmj.com/content/94/4/255
Persistence, concordance, complications in non-pregnant people, 2019, Cina M, Baumann L, Egli-Gany D, et al. https://sti.bmj.com/content/95/5/328

NATSAL-COVID: Britain’s National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles

Today we focus on NATSAL and NATSAL COVID. These are Britain’s National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles.
NATSAL has been undertaken every 10 years since 1990 and is a key data source for sexual and reproductive health policy development. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many aspects of sexual lifestyles, prompting the initiation of the NATSAL-COVID study with the aim of understanding the impact of COVID-19 on sexual behaviour and service use.
Professor Cath Mercer and Professor Nigel Field join us to discuss the results of this study.
All the findings relate to the first four months of lockdown in Britain, which started in March 2020.
Related blog: https://blogs.bmj.com/sti/2022/02/23/natsal-covid-sex-love-and-lockdown/
Relevant Natsal-COVID papers:
- STI paper on sexual behaviour during the pandemic: https://sti.bmj.com/content/early/2021/12/14/sextrans-2021-055210
- Paper in Lancet PH on sexual health services: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(21)00253-X
- Paper in BMJ Open on sex outside of the household: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e055284
- Natsal-COVID wave 1 method paper: https://wellcomeopenresearch.org/articles/6-209

World Human T Leukaemia Virus Day: patient, clinician and scientist’s perspectives

On the World HTLV Day (10th November), we focus on how the Human T leukaemia virus affects people, and review new developments in HTLV treatment and vaccination medicine. HTLV is a retrovirus similar to HIV which incorporates its DNA indefinitely into the human CD4 T lymphocytes. It is predominantly transmitted through condomless sex, but also from mother-to-child and through contact with HTLV positive blood. Unlike HIV, HTLV causes severe disease only in about 5% of PLHTLV, so it is easy for HTLV transmission to go unnoticed. The two dominant HTLV associated diseases are Adult T cell leukaemia (ATL) and HTLV-1 associated myelopathy (HAM/TSP).
Participants:
STI's Podcast Editor, Dr Fabiola Martin, interview Ms Kristy Blakeborough, Lived experience and UK patient rep; Prof Yoshihisa Yamano, Neurologist St Marianna University Japan; A/P Keith Chappell, University of Queensland.
Read the blog post: https://blogs.bmj.com/sti/2021/11/10/world_htlv_day/
Other relevant links:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2818%2930974-7/fulltext https://gvn.org/who/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27965813/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33250897/
https://www.htlvaware.com

Impact of HIV infection on COVID-19 clinical outcome

In this podcast we discuss the reported impact of HIV infection on people who are hospitalised with COVID-19, by reviewing three publications:
1. Outcomes of COVID-19 Related Hospitalization Among People With HIV in the ISARIC WHO Clinical Characterization Protocol: A Prospective Observational Study. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 23 October 2020 (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-2019-nCoV-Clinical-HIV-2021).
2.Epidemiology and outcomes of COVID-19 in HIV-infected individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Nature, Scientific Reports, 18 March 2021 (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-85359-3).
3. Clinical features and prognostic factors of COVID-19 in people living with HIV hospitalized with suspected or confirmed SARS has just been released. WHO Global Clinical Platform, 15 July 2021 (https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa1605/5937133).
STI's Podcast Editor, Dr Fabiola Martin, interviews Prof Anna Maria Garretti, Diseases at the Policlinico Tor Vergata, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Chair of the British HIV Association Vaccination Guidelines Panel, and Editor in Chief of the STI Journal; and Associated Research Professor Dr Paddy Ssentongo, from the Penn State University, Pennsylvania, USA.
Read the blog post: https://blogs.bmj.com/sti/2021/09/16/c19-plwh-revisited/

2021 World Hepatitis Day

On World Hepatitis Day 2021, we discover how Australian patients, patient advocates and health care providers are working together to reach the WHO elimination targets for chronic Hepatitis C virus infection.
Professor Gail Matthews, Infectious Diseases Physician and Program Head of Therapeutic Research and Vaccine Program at The Kirby Institute, Ms Carrie Fowlie, CEO of Hepatitis Australia, and Ms Lisa Carter, Patient advocate and peer educator at Hepatitis SA, join Dr Fabiola Martin to discuss the many different approaches needed to eliminate hepatitis C.
Related blog post: https://blogs.bmj.com/sti/2021/07/27/world-hepatitis-day-2021/

STI and HIV 2021 World Congress: taking virtual and accessibility to another level

July 2021 marks 40 years from the first reports of a 'strange disease' soon to be known as HIV/Aids. In this "very special edition" themed Sexual Diversity and the City, the STI & HIV 2021 World Congress is inviting people from all walks of life, with some being able to participate for free.
Listen to all the details in this conversation of STI's Social Media Editor Harrison Austin with Henry de Vries, Professor of skin infections at the University of Amsterdam and President of the Congress, and Mark Vermeulen, Executive Director of Aidsfonds – Soa Aids Nederland.
Sexually Transmitted Infections (https://sti.bmj.com/) is the official journal of the STI & HIV 2021 World Congress, held as a virtual event on 14-17 July. The mission is to address diversity, health, and sexuality in the urban context. This bi-annual meeting is organised by the International Society for STD Research (ISSTDR) in collaboration with the International Union against STI World (IUSTI World) and is dedicated to STI in its broadest sense.
https://www.stihiv2021.org/

HPV vaccine uptake: achievements and challenges

Today we focus on the challenges and success stories of HPV vaccine uptake, specifically in Italy and Australia. The HPV vaccine rollout has translated into a significant reduction in the prevalence of cervical and anal cancers. Since its discovery, many different strategies have been used to increase and maintain its uptake in school children, both girls and boys.
STI's Podcast Editor, Dr Fabiola Martin, interviews Prof Anna Maria Garretti, Diseases at the Policlinico Tor Vergata, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Chair of the British HIV Association Vaccination Guidelines Panel, and Editor in Chief of the STI Journal; Prof Carlo Giaquinto, Director of the Paediatric Infectious Diseases Unit at the Department of Woman's and Child's Health of the University of Padova Prof; and Ian Frazer, Clinical immunologist and scientist, The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, Australia.
Read the related blog post: https://blogs.bmj.com/sti/2021/06/04/hpv-vaccine-uptake-achievements-and-challenges/
Related content from STI:
https://sti.bmj.com/content/early/2020/09/02/sextrans-2020-054428
https://sti.bmj.com/content/95/5/386
https://sti.bmj.com/content/95/8/608
https://sti.bmj.com/content/early/2020/12/23/sextrans-2020-054726

COVID-19 Vaccine and People who live with HIV

Thousands of people are currently being vaccinated against COVID-19 worldwide. In this podcast, we discuss if the authorised vaccines are useful to people who live with HIV.
STI's Podcast Editor, Dr Fabiola Martin, interviews Prof Anna Maria Garretti, Diseases at the Policlinico Tor Vergata, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Chair of the British HIV Association Vaccination Guidelines Panel, and Editor in Chief of the STI Journal; Dr Laura Waters, Sexual Health and HIV specialist at The Mortimer Market Centre, London, and chair of BHIVA; and Mr Simon Collins, HIV patient advocate and editor of the HIV Treatment Bulletin at the i-Base.
Read the related blog post: https://blogs.bmj.com/sti/2021/04/23/2021episode3/
Related article: https://www.bhiva.org/SARS-CoV-2-vaccine-advice-for-adults-living-with-HIV-plain-english-version-update

HIV endemic in Indonesia: Are we there yet?

In this podcast, we explore how the HIV endemic has evolved over time in Indonesia and is tracking against UNAIDS 90:90:90 treatment for all goals. We discuss the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the already stressed health care system in Indonesia.
Dr Fabiola Martin interviews Dr Keerti Gedela, Consultant physician and researcher in HIV and sexual health medicine, Chelsea & Westminster NHS Trust, London, and Dr Hendry Luis, general physician with an interest in HIV and Sexual Health Medicine, working at the Bali Peduli Foundation, Indonesia.
Read the related blog post: https://blogs.bmj.com/sti/?p=1476&preview=true
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Trans and Gender Diverse People and Health Care Services

In this podcast, we focus on why health care services need to adapt and provide inclusive and non-discriminating services for people independent of their gender or sexual preferences.
Dr Fabiola Martin interviews Dr Jae Sevelius, Associate Professor at the University of California San Francisco, USA, and Dr Graham Neilsen, Sexual Health Specialist at Royal Brisbane Women's Hospital and Stonewall Medical Centre, Brisbane, Australia. They also discuss gender affirmation and healthcare empowerment research and actions taken to improve provide inclusive health care provision.