Concomitant Sexually Transmitted Infections in Patients With Anal Warts: A Single-Center, Cross-Sectional Study in Ho...

Human papillomavirus infections, with or without lesions, are strongly correlated with anal intercourse. Other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, may be transmitted via anal sex. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are sensitive and specific for detecting both genital and non-genital infections. In this study, we aimed to determine the STI rate in genital and non-genital locations and its relationship with symptoms in patients with anal warts.

We conducted a cross-sectional study of patients with anal warts who visited the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Dermato-Venereology between October 2022 and November 2023. Patients were interviewed using questionnaires, and swabs from the anal, genital, and oral regions were tested using PCR. Statistical analysis was conducted using χ ² and Fisher's exact tests, with statistical significance set at p = 0.05.

Of the 200 patients with anal warts included in this study, 95.5% tested positive for at least one STI agent in the anorectum (72.5%), pharynx (58.5%), and genitalia (30.0%). Gardnerella vaginalis (71.0%), Mycoplasma hominis (36.5%), and Ureaplasma parvum (22.0%) were the most common PCR-detected agents. M. hominis dominated the pharyngeal area (33.0%), whereas G. vaginalis dominated both the anorectal (64.5%) and genital areas (10.0%). Rates of presenting symptoms were 54.7% and 68.3% in the pharyngeal and anorectal areas, respectively.

The sexually transmitted coinfection rates in patients with anal warts were confirmed, but the symptomatic rates were not. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential. Thus, we propose that PCR tests should be performed in the anorectal, genital, and oral areas in patients with anal warts.