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Age- and Sex-Related Differences in Morbidities of Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Children

Yumika Hino1, Nobuoki Eshima2, Kira Bacal3

  • 1Kotake Municipal Hospital, 1191 Katsuno, Kotake-machi, Kurate District, Fukuoka 820-1103, Japan.

Children (Basel, Switzerland)
|January 15, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) show distinct age and sex patterns. Morbidity is similar in infants, higher in female children, and higher in adult males for four common STDs.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) represent a significant global public health concern.
  • Understanding age-specific and sex-related trends in STD morbidity is crucial for targeted interventions, especially in pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze age-specific and sex-related changes in the morbidity of four representative STDs in children.
  • To compare the male-to-female morbidity (MFM) ratios for Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), condylomata acuminate (CA), and genital herpes simplex virus (GHSV) infections.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized Japanese national surveillance data spanning from 1999 to 2017.
  • Analyzed STD morbidity data stratified by age and sex for NG, CT, CA, and GHSV.
  • Calculated male-to-female morbidity (MFM) ratios to compare disease prevalence between sexes across different age groups.

Main Results:

  • MFM ratios were approximately one in infants, less than one in children (indicating higher female morbidity), and greater than one after puberty (indicating higher male morbidity) for all four STDs.
  • A notable shift in MFM ratio from less than one to greater than one occurred during puberty (ages 10-19) for NG infection.
  • The MFM ratio reversal for genital herpes simplex virus (GHSV) infection was observed later, between ages 35-44.

Conclusions:

  • STD morbidity patterns differ significantly by age and sex.
  • Infants exhibit similar STD morbidity across sexes, while female children experience higher rates than males.
  • Post-puberty, males demonstrate higher morbidity rates for these four STDs compared to females.

Keywords:
Chlamydia trachomatisNeisseria gonorrhoeaecondylomata acuminategenital herpes simplex virusmale-to-female morbidity ratiosex-related differencessexually transmitted diseases

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