STI Podcast

The experience of treating and/or losing a patient to anal cancer is deeply upsetting. Therefore, the early detection and treatment of precursors are of utmost importance to patients and clinicians. People with HIV have a higher prevalence and incidence of Human Papilloma Virus infection, an oncogenic virus, which may cause intraepithelial neoplasia, the precursor of squamous cell carcinomas in th...

Previously we reported on the Rise of Syphilis world wide . Today we focus on the devastating effects of syphilis on parents and their children. Hand in hand with an increase in syphilis incidence in adults the rates of congenital syphilis are rising and missed opportunities to test and treat birthing parents, their partners and babies are preventable contributing factors. Congenital syphilis is c...

Continuing on the search for innovative strategies to shape the future of HIV cure research in the second part of this series, Dr Jillian Lau discusses how anti–PD1 immunotherapies and carefully designed treatment interruption studies are helping clinicians and scientists to better understand pathways to durable HIV remission. Dr Ming Lee then breaks down the results of the RIO study, highlighting...

In the first of this two-part series, we explore the latest advances in the search for an HIV cure. Professor Christian Gaebler shares insights from the remarkable case of the second Berlin patient —an individual cured of HIV following a stem cell transplant—and reflects on what similar cases mean for the future of curative strategies. We’re also joined by Professor Beatriz Mothe, who discusses th...

Over the last decade we have seen an exponential surge in research and peer reviewed publications about the sexual health of trans and gender diverse people. We now know that sexually transmitted infections are highly prevalent in this key population and there is an urgent need for concentrated efforts made by patient advocates, health care providers, public health policy developers and government...

Most people requiring HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) are offered a daily or event driven oral tablet which contains two HIV antiretroviral drugs combined. Oral medication, however, may not be a feasible and/or effective PrEP option for some. FDA has approved two long-acting injectable HIV anti-viral drugs: Cabotegravir, an HIV integrase inhibitor (2 monthly injections) and Lenacapavir an HIV...

Worldwide the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections is increasing. Today we will discuss innovative ways of testing and treating large number of patients with STIs that are equitable, reliable and potentially cost-effective. We will discuss the eSexual Health Clinic (eSHC) research published in The Lancet Public Health in 2017 and NIHR funded  SEQUENCE Digital research program based in UK...

Today we will discuss the evolution and efficacy of antenatal testing for blood borne pathogens as a strategy to improve pregnancy outcomes and prevent parent to child transmission. Over the last 40 years the number of infections tested for in the antenatal setting has expanded which has been followed closely by treatment guidelines for each infection. However, there are stark regional differences...

Today we will discuss different types of HIV and Syphilis antibody testing performed at home by the patient or consumer. Home testing for HIV and Syphilis empower people, especially pregnant women who live in remote areas or are marginalised and hard to reach, to screen themselves for these two serious and communicable infections at home and seek additional confirmitory testing, treatment and supp...

Today we will discuss if screening asymptomatic Men who have sex with Men, also referred to as MSM, who are receiving HIV pre-exposure anti-retroviral medication, called HIV PrEP, routinely for bacterial STIs, gonorrhoea and chlamydia through pharyngeal, urine and rectal PCR testing every three months- also referred to as 3x3 testing is indeed of benefit or may cause harm. This year, in Lancet HIV...

Today we provide you with an update on the sexually transmitted infection: Trichomonas vaginalis, a protozoan which infects the vagina, urethra and paraurethral glands. It is an uncommon cause of vaginal discharge and penile urethritis and can persist for a long time if left untreated. Up to 50% of people with vaginal infections and especially people with urethral infections remain asymptomatic. P...

You will recall a previous podcast about preventing Neisseria gonorrhoea through an effective vaccine. Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a ubiquitous sexually transmitted bacteria that can cause both localised and systemic disease if left untreated. It may be transmitted to neonates. We also reported on a rise of the gonorrhoea incidence, as well as increasing rates of antibiotic resistance. Today we will...

Today we will focus on the alternative treatments of early Syphilis. Worldwide many of us have experienced a shortage of gold standard treatment benzathine benzylpenicillin injections for syphilis. It is time we look for alternative antibiotic treatments and prevention strategies for syphilis. In conversation with Prof Jeffery Klausner, Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases and Public Health...

In our final episode in honour of the World AIDS Day we have a conversation with Assistant Prof. Rajasuriar, who coordinates the translational research program in HIV immunology and Ageing at the Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS (CERiA) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Today, thanks to effective HIV antiretroviral therapy, people living with HIV can live long and healthy lives. According to the...

Today we are honouring the World AIDS Day on 1st December in 2023, by focusing on young people who live with HIV. Adolescents and young people represent a significant share of people living with HIV worldwide. In 2022 alone, 255,000-760,000 young people between the ages of 10 to 24 were newly infected with HIV, of whom 35,000-250,000 were adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19. In conversation...

Welcome to the 4th episode of the 2023 BMJ Sexually Transmitted Infections Podcast Series. This year the International AIDS Society Conference was held for the first time in Brisbane Australia in July 2023. It was wonderful to learn about many new research findings, community perspectives and to connect with old friends and make new ones. Today we will provide you with some of the many clinical, v...

In honour of World Hepatitis Day, today we focus on the Hepatitis B virus (HBV), a virus that can be transmitted through contact with infected blood and from mother to child during labour. HBV can also be transmitted sexually. It infects liver cells and causes both acute and chronic infections, which can be severe. Since HBV was discovered in 1965, we have made great progress in reducing the burde...

Neisseria gonorrhoeae, in short NG, is a ubiquitous sexually transmitted bacteria that can cause both localised and systemic disease if left untreated. NG may also be transmitted vertically from mother to baby. Over the last years, we have seen a rise in the number of people diagnosed with gonorrhoea, alongside growing rates of antibiotic resistance. New research makes us hopeful that a vaccine ma...

Welcome back to the 2023 BMJ STI Podcasts. Today we will focus on the worsening Syphilis epidemic worldwide. Syphilis is a bacteria that infects humans, and is transmitted horizontally through close sexual contact and vertically to unborn babies and neonates. It can cause acute and severe illness in those affected, such as neurosyphilis, and have tragic consequences for mother and baby. With the d...

Today we talk about transmission, diagnosis and management of MPox. We will also review the UK community and the World Health’s Organization's perspective on this virus. Please note that after the recording of this podcast the WHO implemented a change of the name of the virus to MPox. Dr Fabiola Martin, STI's Podcast editor, interviews Dr Liesbeth Van Gestel, ID physician and clinical researcher a...

In this double-interview podcast, the Editor-in-Chief of the STI journal, Professor Anna Maria Geretti, brings you some of the highlights from the HIV Glasgow 2022 conference. In the first interview (starting at 1:00), Professor Geretti interviews Jean-Michel Molina*, who discusses HIV and STI prevention. The second interview (starting at 12:30) is with Professor Miłosz Parczewski**. They discuss...

Today we talk with the principal investigators of the DoxyPEP trial which was prematurely terminated due to its amazing success: participants receiving a stat dose of Doxycycline 200mg in less than 72 hours after condom-less sex were 63% less likely to develop a bacterial STI compared to participants in the control arm. Prof Annie Leutkemeyer based in San Francisco (UCSF) and Prof Connie Celum, ba...

Today we focus on presumptive and prophylactic management of bacterial STIs, talking with Dr Manoji Gunathilake, Head of sexual health services in Darwin, Australia, and Assistant Prof Will Nutland, the director of the NGO, the Love Tank, in London, UK. Related links: STI Guidelines Australia: https://sti.guidelines.org.au/ The Love Tank: http://thelovetank.info/ GRASP report: data to June 2021 ht...

In this podcast, we interview Professor Joel Palefsky about the ANCHOR study. Sexually Transmitted Infections' Editorial Fellow, Dr Ming Lee, speaks to the journal Editor in Chief, Professor Anna Maria Geretti, and Professor Palefsky, chief investigator of the randomised controlled trial, about the study which investigated treatment of anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) to pre...

Thank you for joining us for the HTLV2022 Conference review. Dr Fabiola Martin speaks to Joanna Curteis, the Australian patient representative, Dr Carolina Rosadas, researcher associate at National Centre for Human Retrovirology, Imperial College London, who specialises in HTLV-1 vertical transmission and Prof Damian Purcell. Damian's research group investigates the HIV-1 and HTLV-1 human retrovir...