Table 1.
Characteristics of male patients included at the Dermatological Service Paramaribo, Suriname, 2008–2010 and the STI Outpatient Clinic, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2009–2010
| Suriname (N = 412) | The Netherlands (N = 645) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic characteristics | n (%) | n (%) | |
| Median age (years) (IQR) | 28.0 (24.0–37.0) | 34.0 (26.5–43.0) | <0.001 |
| Age (years) | <0.001 | ||
| < 25 | 109 (26.5) | 110 (17.1) | |
| 25–29 | 115 (27.9) | 123 (19.1) | |
| 30–34 | 59 (14.3) | 108 (16.7) | |
| ≥ 35 | 129 (31.3) | 304 (47.1) | |
| Symptoms* | <0.001 | ||
| No | 133 (32.3) | 379 (59.6) | |
| Yes | 279 (67.7) | 257 (40.4) | |
| HIV status** | <0.001 | ||
| Negative | 392 (95.1) | 519 (80.5) | |
| Positive | 2 (0.49) | 113 (17.5) | |
| Unknown | 18 (4.4) | 13 (2.0) | |
| Sexual preference* | <0.001 | ||
| Heterosexual men | 402 (98.3) | 282 (43.7) | |
| Men who have sex with men | 7 (1.7) | 363 (56.3) | |
| Ct prevalence | |||
| Total population | 94 (22.8) | 88 (13.6) | <0.001 |
| < 25 years | 29 (26.6) | 21 (19.1) | 0.185 |
| Symptomatic patients* | 77 (27.6) | 53 (20.6) | 0.060 |
| Asymptomatic patients* | 17 (12.8) | 34 (9.0) | 0.207 |
Abbreviations: STI sexual transmitted infections; IQR interquartile range; Ct Chlamydia trachomatis
*Numbers do not add up to column total due to missing data; data on symptoms were missing for 9 patients in the Netherlands and data on sexual preference were missing for 3 patients in Suriname. Percentages were calculated based on those with non-missing data and thus add up to 100 %
**In the Netherlands a positive HIV status was based on a positive HIV test in the past or on the date of inclusion (noted in the patient records); a negative HIV status was based on a negative HIV test result on the date of inclusion. The HIV status was unknown when a HIV test was lacking on the date of inclusion. In Suriname the HIV status was self-reported at the date of inclusion