TABLE 1—
Risk Factors for Repeat Primary or Secondary Syphilis Infection Among Men Who Have Sex With Men: California, 2004–2006
| Characteristic | Overall (n = 2862), No. (%) | Repeat Infection (n = 162), No. (%) | No Repeat Infection (n = 2700), No. (%) | Crude OR (95% CI) | AOR (95% CI) |
| Regiona | |||||
| Los Angeles county (Ref) | 991 (34.6) | 62 (38.3) | 929 (34.3) | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| San Francisco city and county | 557 (19.5) | 41 (25.3) | 516 (19.1) | 1.19 (0.79, 1.79) | 1.24 (0.63, 2.43) |
| Bay area | 312 (10.9) | 11 (6.8) | 301 (11.2) | 0.55 (0.28, 1.05) | 0.57 (0.25, 1.29) |
| Northern | 75 (2.6) | 2 (1.2) | 73 (2.7) | 0.41 (0.10, 1.71) | 0.23 (0.03, 1.79) |
| Southern | 894 (31.2) | 46 (28.4) | 848 (31.4) | 0.81 (0.55, 1.20) | 0.82 (0.43, 1.55) |
| Race/ethnicity | |||||
| White (Ref) | 1580 (55.2) | 84 (51.9) | 1496 (55.4) | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Black | 260 (9.1) | 22 (13.6) | 238 (8.8) | 1.67 (1.03, 2.72) | 1.84 (1.12, 3.04) |
| Latino | 794 (27.7) | 42 (25.9) | 752 (27.9) | 1.01 (0.69, 1.48) | 1.07 (0.72, 1.58) |
| Asian | 141 (4.9) | 11 (6.8) | 130 (4.8) | 1.53 (0.80, 2.94) | 1.62 (0.83, 3.17) |
| Other | 87 (3.0) | 3 (1.9) | 84 (3.1) | 0.82 (0.19, 3.45) | 0.98 (0.23, 4.19) |
| History of syphilis | 318 (11.1) | 24 (14.8) | 294 (10.9) | 1.38 (0.88, 2.16) | |
| Syphilis stage | |||||
| Primary | 836 (29.2) | 41 (25.3) | 795 (29.4) | 0.81 (0.56, 1.17) | |
| Secondary (Ref) | 2026 (70.8) | 121 (74.7) | 1905 (70.6) | 1.00 | |
| HIV status | |||||
| HIV negative (Ref) | 1090 (38.1) | 45 (27.8) | 1045 (38.7) | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| HIV positive | 1508 (52.7) | 106 (65.4) | 1402 (51.9) | 1.76 (1.23, 2.51) | 1.65 (1.14, 2.37) |
| Status unknown | 264 (9.2) | 11 (6.8) | 253 (9.4) | 1.01 (0.51, 1.98) | 1.18 (0.59, 2.37) |
| No. of sex partnersb | |||||
| 0 | 224 (7.9) | 11 (6.9) | 213 (8.0) | 1.32 (0.63, 2.76) | 1.05 (0.49, 2.26) |
| 1 (Ref) | 583 (20.6) | 22 (13.8) | 561 (21.0) | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| 2–4 | 1130 (40.0) | 61 (38.1) | 1069 (40.1) | 1.46 (0.88, 2.39) | 1.45 (0.87, 2.41) |
| 5–9 | 424 (15.0) | 26 (16.3) | 398 (14.9) | 1.67 (0.93, 2.98) | 1.58 (0.87, 2.89) |
| ≥ 10 | 467 (16.5) | 40 (25.0) | 427 (16.0) | 2.39 (1.40, 4.08) | 1.98 (1.12, 3.50) |
| Condom used at most recent intercourse | |||||
| No (Ref) | 1287 (45.0) | 67 (41.4) | 1220 (45.2) | 1.00 | |
| Yes | 700 (24.5) | 34 (20.1) | 666 (24.7) | 0.93 (0.61, 1.42) | |
| Unknown/data missing | 875 (30.6) | 61 (37.7) | 814 (30.1) | 1.36 (0.95, 1.96) | |
| Anonymous sex partners in past 12 mo | |||||
| No (Ref) | 907 (31.7) | 40 (24.7) | 867 (32.1) | 1.00 | |
| Yes | 1727 (60.3) | 113 (69.8) | 1614 (59.8) | 1.52 (1.05, 2.20) | |
| Unknown/data missing | 228 (8.0) | 9 (5.6) | 219 (8.1) | 0.89 (0.43, 1.86) | |
| Sexual practices in past 12 mo | |||||
| No anal sex | 130 (4.5) | 3 (1.9) | 127 (4.7) | 0.34 (0.11, 1.09) | |
| Only insertive anal sex | 186 (6.5) | 11 (6.8) | 175 (6.5) | 0.91 (0.48, 1.71) | |
| Only receptive anal sex | 146 (5.1) | 10 (6.2) | 136 (5.0) | 1.06 (0.54, 2.07) | |
| Insertive and receptive anal sex (Ref) | 1788 (62.5) | 116 (71.6) | 1672 (61.9) | 1.00 | |
| Unknown/data missing | 612 (21.4) | 22 (13.6) | 590 (21.9) | 0.54 (0.34, 0.86) | |
| Use of Internet as meeting venue in past 12 mo | |||||
| No (Ref) | 1537 (53.7) | 85 (52.5) | 1452 (53.8) | 1.00 | |
| Yes | 944 (33.0) | 61 (37.7) | 883 (32.7) | 1.18 (0.84, 1.66) | |
| Unknown/data missing | 381 (13.3) | 16 (9.9) | 365 (13.5) | 0.75 (0.43, 1.29) | |
| Use of bathhouse or sex club as meeting venue in past 12 mo | |||||
| No (Ref) | 1355 (47.3) | 66 (40.7) | 1289 (47.7) | 1.00 | |
| Yes | 510 (17.8) | 36 (22.2) | 474 (17.6) | 1.48 (0.98, 2.26) | |
| Unknown/data missing | 997 (34.8) | 60 (37.0) | 937 (34.7) | 1.25 (0.87, 1.80) | |
| Methamphetamine use in past 12 mo | |||||
| No (Ref) | 1217 (45.5) | 59 (36.4) | 1158 (42.9) | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Yes | 569 (19.9) | 45 (27.8) | 524 (19.4) | 1.69 (1.13, 2.52) | 1.30 (0.85, 1.99) |
| Unknown/data missing | 1076 (37.6) | 58 (35.8) | 1018 (37.7) | 1.11 (0.77, 1.62) | 0.79 (0.48, 1.29) |
| Erectile dysfunction medication use in past 12 mo | |||||
| No (Ref) | 1522 (53.2) | 84 (51.9) | 1438 (53.3) | 1.00 | |
| Yes | 264 (9.2) | 20 (12.4) | 244 (9.0) | 1.40 (0.85, 2.32) | |
| Unknown/data missing | 1076 (37.6) | 58 (35.8) | 1018 (37.7) | 0.98 (0.69, 1.38) | |
Note. AOR = adjusted odds ratio; CI = confidence interval; OR = odds ratio. Percentages may not sum to 100% because of rounding.
a
Excludes 33 cases from central California for which there were no repeat infections.
b
Number of partners during preceding 3 months for primary syphilis and preceding 6 months for secondary syphilis; excludes 34 cases with missing data.