Karen W. Hoover

Trends in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Ectopic Pregnancy in the United States

OBJECTIVE: To estimate trends in the rates of diagnosis and treatment of ectopic pregnancy in the United States. METHODS: We analyzed data from a large administrative claims database of more than 200 U.S. commercial health plans, and estimated time trends in the rate and incidence of ectopic pregnancy among girls and women aged 15–44 years by 5-year age groups and by region from 2002 to 2007. We also estimated time trends in the proportion of cases that were treated surgically, either by laparoscopy or laparotomy, or medically with methotrexate. RESULTS: We identified 11,989 ectopic pregnancies during the period from 2002 to 2007. The overall rate of ectopic pregnancy among pregnant girls and women aged 15–44 years during the 6-year study period was 0.64%. We did not observe a trend in the rate of ectopic pregnancy by 5-year age group or by geographic region. The ectopic pregnancy rate increased with age; it was 0.3% among girls and women aged 15–19 years and 1.0% among women aged 35–44 years. Methotrexate treatment increased from 11.1% in 2002 to 35.1% in 2007 (P<.001); the methotrexate failure rate was 14.7% over the 6-year study period. Surgical management with laparotomy decreased over the study period from 40.0% to 33.1% (P<.001). CONCLUSION: We did not find an increasing or decreasing trend in the rate of ectopic pregnancy among U.S. commercially insured women from 2002 to 2007. The use of administrative claims data are likely the most feasible method for estimating the rate and monitoring trends of ectopic pregnancy in the United States. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II

HIV Infection Linked to Injection Use of Oxymorphone in Indiana, 2014-2015.

BACKGROUND In January 2015, a total of 11 new diagnoses of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection were reported in a small community in Indiana. We investigated the extent and cause of the outbreak and implemented control measures. METHODS We identified an outbreak-related case as laboratory-confirmed HIV infection newly diagnosed after October 1, 2014, in a person who either resided in Scott County, Indiana, or was named by another case patient as a syringe-sharing or sexual partner. HIV polymerase (pol) sequences from case patients were phylogenetically analyzed, and potential risk factors associated with HIV infection were ascertained. RESULTS From November 18, 2014, to November 1, 2015, HIV infection was diagnosed in 181 case patients. Most of these patients (87.8%) reported having injected the extended-release formulation of the prescription opioid oxymorphone, and 92.3% were coinfected with hepatitis C virus. Among 159 case patients who had an HIV type 1 pol gene sequence, 157 (98.7%) had sequences that were highly related, as determined by phylogenetic analyses. Contact tracing investigations led to the identification of 536 persons who were named as contacts of case patients; 468 of these contacts (87.3%) were located, assessed for risk, tested for HIV, and, if infected, linked to care. The number of times a contact was named as a syringe-sharing partner by a case patient was significantly associated with the risk of HIV infection (adjusted risk ratio for each time named, 1.9; P<0.001). In response to this outbreak, a public health emergency was declared on March 26, 2015, and a syringe-service program in Indiana was established for the first time. CONCLUSIONS Injection-drug use of extended-release oxymorphone within a network of persons who inject drugs in Indiana led to the introduction and rapid transmission of HIV. (Funded by the state government of Indiana and others.).

STD screening of HIV-infected MSM in HIV clinics.

Background: National guidelines for the care of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons recommend asymptomatic routine screening for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Our objective was to determine whether providers who care for HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) followed these guidelines. Methods: We abstracted medical records to evaluate STD screening at 8 large HIV clinics in 6 US cities. We estimated the number of men who had at least one test for syphilis, chlamydia (urethral and/or rectal), or gonorrhea (urethral, rectal, and/or pharyngeal) in 2004, 2005, and 2006. Urethral testing included nucleic acid amplification tests of both urethral swabs and urine. We also calculated the positivity of syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea among screened men. Results: Medical records were abstracted for 1334 HIV-infected MSM who made 14,659 visits from 2004–2006. The annual screening rate for syphilis ranged from 66.0% to 75.8% during 2004–2006. Rectal chlamydia and rectal and pharyngeal gonorrhea annual screening rates ranged from 2.3% to 8.5% despite moderate to high positivity among specimens from asymptomatic patients (3.0%–9.8%) during this period. Annual urethral chlamydia and gonorrhea screening rates were higher than rates for nonurethral sites, but were suboptimal, and ranged from 13.8% to 18.3%. Conclusions: Most asymptomatic HIV-infected MSM were screened for syphilis, indicating good provider adherence to this screening guideline. Low screening rates for gonorrhea and chlamydia, especially at rectal and pharyngeal sites, suggest that substantial barriers exist for complying with these guidelines. The moderate to high prevalence of asymptomatic chlamydial and gonococcal infections underscores the importance of screening. A range of clinical quality improvement interventions are needed to increase screening, including increasing the awareness of nucleic acid amplification tests for nonurethral screening.

Missed opportunities for chlamydia screening of young women in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: To identify missed opportunities for chlamydia screening in ambulatory care offices. METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2005 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey to estimate the number of visits to obstetrician–gynecologists and primary care physicians (family and general practitioners, internists, and pediatricians) for preventive care, pelvic examinations, Pap tests, and urinalyses for nonpregnant women aged 15–25 years, and the proportion of these visits at which chlamydia tests were not performed. RESULTS: Obstetrician–gynecologists provided care for nonpregnant women aged 15–25 years at 6.3 million office visits during 2005, and primary care physicians at 20.9 million visits. Although obstetrician–gynecologists conducted only 23.1% of visits made by young women, they conducted 68.8% of visits with pelvic examinations and 71.1% of visits with Pap tests. Primary care physicians conducted 77.5% of visits with urinalyses. Obstetrician–gynecologists did not perform a chlamydia test at 3.2 of 3.8 million (82.1%) visits with pelvic examinations and at 1.8 of 2.3 million (77.3%) visits with Pap tests. Primary care physicians did not perform a chlamydia test at 2.9 of 3.0 million (99.1%) visits with urinalyses. CONCLUSION: There are many missed opportunities for chlamydia testing of young women in ambulatory care visits — during pelvic examinations, Pap tests, and urinalyses. Effective and simple interventions are needed to increase targeted chlamydia screening of women by physicians. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III

Utilization of Health Services in Physician Offices and Outpatient Clinics by Adolescents and Young Women in the United States: Implications for Improving Access to Reproductive Health Services

PURPOSE We examined utilization patterns of adolescents and young women as they seek general and reproductive health services in physician offices and hospital outpatient clinics. METHODS We analyzed physician office visits in the 2003-2006 National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys, and hospital outpatient clinic visits in the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys, to examine utilization patterns of females aged 9-26 years by 2-year age intervals and other characteristics such as physician specialty or clinic type. RESULTS The number of visits to primary care physician offices increased with age, from 4.9 million for ages 9-10 years to 9.0 million for ages 25-26 years. The proportion of visits made to obstetrician-gynecologists and family practitioners increased with age, and by ages 15-16 years fewer than half of all visits to primary care providers were made to pediatricians. The proportion of visits to family practitioners increased from 25% at ages 9-10 years to 30% at ages 25-26 years. By ages 17-18 years, a larger proportion of visits were made to obstetrician-gynecologists (33% of 7.0 million visits) and to family practitioners (34%) than to pediatricians (23%). The proportion of visits for reproductive health services peaked at 53% of 7.5 million physician visits at ages 20-21 years. Similar utilization patterns were observed for the 11.0 million hospital outpatient visits to primary care providers. CONCLUSIONS Because adolescents and young women most commonly utilize healthcare services provided by obstetrician-gynecologists and family practitioners, these specialties should be priority targets for interventions to improve the quality and availability of reproductive health services.

Low Rates of Both Asymptomatic Chlamydia Screening and Diagnostic Testing of Women in U.S. Outpatient Clinics

OBJECTIVE: To estimate demographic characteristics of nonpregnant women who seek health care in hospital outpatient clinics, and the proportion of visits where a chlamydia test was not done in asymptomatic young women at preventive visits and in symptomatic women. METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2005 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey to estimate the number of visits made by nonpregnant women aged 15–25 years and 26–35 years. We estimated the proportion of preventive visits where young women were not screened for chlamydia and the proportion of visits where women with signs or symptoms of chlamydia were not tested. RESULTS: In 2005, 5.2 million visits were made by nonpregnant women aged 15–25 years to outpatient clinics: 21.3% were by black non-Hispanic women, 15.2% by Hispanic women, 41.9% by women with Medicaid/State Childrens Health Insurance Program insurance, and 10.8% by women with signs or symptoms of chlamydia. These young women were not screened at 84.0% of 1.2 million asymptomatic preventive visits, and were not tested for chlamydia at 78.3% of 0.6 million visits where they presented with signs or symptoms of chlamydia. Women aged 26–35 years were not tested at 86.3% of 0.4 million visits where they presented with signs or symptoms of chlamydia. CONCLUSION: While low chlamydia screening coverage has been reported, the low level of diagnostic testing in outpatient clinics was unexpected. Simple and effective interventions are needed to increase both diagnostic testing and screening of young women for Chlamydia in outpatient clinics, a venue that provides care to at-risk populations. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III

Provider barriers prevent recommended sexually transmitted disease screening of HIV-infected men who have sex with men.

Background HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) are at increased risk for transmitting and acquiring sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Guidelines recommend at least annual screening of HIV-infected MSM for syphilis and for chlamydia and gonorrhea at exposed anatomical sites, to protect their health and their sexual partners’ health. Despite these guidelines, STD screening has been suboptimal, with very low nongenital chlamydia and gonorrhea testing rates. Our objective was to better understand barriers encountered by HIV care providers in adhering to STD screening guidelines for HIV-infected MSM. Methods We conducted 40 individual semistructured interviews with health care providers (physicians, midlevel providers, nurses, and health educators) of HIV-infected MSM at 8 large HIV clinics in 6 US cities. Providers were asked about their STD screening practices and barriers to conducting sexual risk assessments of their patients. Emerging themes were identified by qualitative data analysis. Results Although most health care providers reported routine syphilis screening, screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea at exposed anatomical sites was less frequent. Obstacles that prevented routine chlamydia and gonorrhea screening included time constraints, difficulty obtaining a sexual history, language and cultural barriers, and patient confidentiality concerns. Conclusions Providers reported many obstacles to routine chlamydia and gonorrhea screening. Interventions are needed to help to mitigate barriers to STD screening, such as structural and patient-directed health services models that might facilitate increased testing coverage of these important preventive services.

Suboptimal Adherence to Repeat Testing Recommendations for Men and Women With Positive Chlamydia Tests in the United States, 2008–2010

BACKGROUND Chlamydia is prevalent among young persons in the United States. Infected persons have a high prevalence of infection several months later, most likely from reinfection. Retesting of all men and women with a positive test is recommended 3 months after treatment. A test-of-cure is recommended for pregnant women 3-4 weeks after treatment. METHODS We analyzed 2008-2010 chlamydia testing data from a large US laboratory to estimate test positivity by patient demographic characteristics and diagnoses, and patterns of repeat testing of men and nonpregnant women with a positive test and tests-of-cures of pregnant women with a positive test. RESULTS During the study period, 7.0% of 0.40 million tests performed in men and 4.0% of 2.92 million tests performed in women were positive. Among young women, positivity rates were highest among those aged 15-19 years, ranging from 8.5% to 10.0%. Retesting rates of persons with a positive test were suboptimal, with 22.3% of men and 38.0% of nonpregnant women retested. Although 60.1% of pregnant women with a positive test were retested, only 22.0% received a test-of-cure within the 4-week recommended time frame. Repeat tests were positive in 15.9% of men, 14.2% of nonpregnant women, and 15.4% of pregnant women. CONCLUSIONS Analyses of laboratory testing data provided important insights into chlamydia testing, retesting, and positivity among a diverse US population of men and women. Too few persons were retested as recommended, and interventions are needed to increase both healthcare provider and patient adherence to recommendations for retesting men and women with positive tests.

Uptake of HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis Among Commercially Insured Persons—United States, 2010–2014

Background. Daily, oral use of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine (TDF-FTC) for preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective strategy to prevent acquisition of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. It is important to monitor PrEP uptake at the national level to increase our understanding of trends in its utilization, but national HIV surveillance data do not include PrEP uptake. Our objective was to develop feasible methods to estimate PrEP uptake and to estimate uptake each year among commercially insured persons during 2010–2014. Methods. We conducted a retrospective analysis of the 2010–2014 MarketScan database, a national sample of persons with commercial health insurance in the United States. We developed an algorithm to identify persons aged ≥16 years who were prescribed TDF-FTC for PrEP each year. We generated nationally representative estimates of prevalence of persons prescribed PrEP. Results. We found a significantly increasing trend in the proportion of persons prescribed TDF-FTC for PrEP during the study period, with 417 users in 2010 and 9375 in 2014 (P < .001); 97% of PrEP users were male and 98% lived in metropolitan areas in 2014. During the study period, the numbers of women prescribed PrEP were low. Conclusions. Our analytic method provides the only feasible means to monitor PrEP uptake in the United States. Although a marked increasing trend in uptake was observed for men, the number of women who used PrEP remained very low during the study period. Interventions are needed to increase PrEP use by women at substantial risk of acquiring HIV infection.

Self-reported Chlamydia testing rates of sexually active women aged 15-25 years in the United States, 2006-2008.

Using the 2006-2008 National Survey of Family Growth, we estimated a 37.9% annual chlamydia testing rate for sexually active US women aged 15 to 25 years, defined as having ≥ 1 sex partner in the past year. Our results highlight the need for increased testing among sexually active young women.