Detecting Underreported Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in the Homeless Population of O'ahu

Abstract

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been a large public health issue for many years. The stigma that surrounds STIs as well as the fact that many people are asymptomatic for it has made it increasingly difficult to screen and diagnose those who contract them. This is especially true for the homeless population who are migratory in nature and difficult to track. The homeless population is exposed to many factors such as social, behavioral, or environmental factors that can be associated with a higher risk of STIs. Due to the limited studies of STIs in the homeless population, we conducted a free STI screening service in collaboration with the HOME project at their clinic. This study aims to address the possible risk factors associated with STIs in the homeless population on the island of O’ahu through the use of a questionnaire and results obtained through laboratory testing on urine samples. There were eight participants in total who were included in the study with equal amounts of males and females. All the urine samples, except for one, were negative for both gonorrhea and chlamydia. A few trends and risk factors mentioned in previous studies were observed in this homeless population. As expected, there were more women who had been tested for STIs prior to this study than men and the majority of this population did not use condoms during intercourse. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the limited number of study subjects impacts the ability to generalize the study’s findings to the target population.