Sexually transmitted infections, sexual life and risk behaviours of people living with schizophrenia: systematic review and meta-analysis

Claudia Aymerich; Borja Pedruzo; Gonzalo Salazar de Pablo; Lander Madaria; Javier Goena; Vanessa Sanchez-Gistau; Paolo Fusar-Poli; Philip McGuire; Miguel Ángel González-Torres; Ana Catalan

doi:10.1192/bjo.2024.49

Sexually transmitted infections, sexual life and risk behaviours of people living with schizophrenia: systematic review and meta-analysis

BJPsych Open. 2024 May 10;10(3):e110. doi: 10.1192/bjo.2024.49.

Affiliations

¹ Psychiatry Department, Basurto University Hospital, Osakidetza, Basque Health Service, Bilbao, Spain; Biobizkaia Health Research Institute, OSI Bilbao-Basurto, Bilbao, Spain; Centro de Investigación en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; and Neuroscience Department, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain.
² Psychiatry Department, Basurto University Hospital, Osakidetza, Basque Health Service, Bilbao, Spain.
³ Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK; Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain; and Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK.
⁴ Psychiatry Department, Basurto University Hospital, Osakidetza, Basque Health Service, Bilbao, Spain; and Biobizkaia Health Research Institute, OSI Bilbao-Basurto, Bilbao, Spain.
⁵ Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, IISPV-CERCA, CIBERSAM, ISCIII, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain.
⁶ Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-Detection Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; OASIS Service, South London and Maudsley National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, UK; and National Institute for Health Research, Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
⁷ Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; and NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK.
⁸ Psychiatry Department, Basurto University Hospital, Osakidetza, Basque Health Service, Bilbao, Spain; Biobizkaia Health Research Institute, OSI Bilbao-Basurto, Bilbao, Spain; CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain; and Neuroscience Department, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain.
⁹ Psychiatry Department, Basurto University Hospital, Osakidetza, Basque Health Service, Bilbao, Spain; Biobizkaia Health Research Institute, OSI Bilbao-Basurto, Bilbao, Spain; CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain; Neuroscience Department, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain; Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-Detection Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; and Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

Abstract

Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), along with sexual health and behaviour, have received little attention in schizophrenia patients.

Aims: To systematically review and meta-analytically characterise the prevalence of STIs and sexual risk behaviours among schizophrenia patients.

Method: Web of Science, PubMed, BIOSIS, KCI-Korean Journal Database, MEDLINE, Russian Science Citation Index, SciELO and Cochrane Central Register were systematically searched from inception to 6 July 2023. Studies reporting on the prevalence or odds ratio of any STI or any outcome related to sexual risk behaviours among schizophrenia samples were included. PRISMA/MOOSE-compliant (CRD42023443602) random-effects meta-analyses were used for the selected outcomes. Q-statistics, I² index, sensitivity analyses and meta-regressions were used. Study quality and publication bias were assessed.

Results: Forty-eight studies (N = 2 459 456) reporting on STI prevalence (including 15 allowing for calculation of an odds ratio) and 33 studies (N = 4255) reporting on sexual risk behaviours were included. Schizophrenia samples showed a high prevalence of STIs and higher risks of HIV (odds ratio = 2.11; 95% CI 1.23-3.63), hepatitis C virus (HCV, odds ratio = 4.54; 95% CI 2.15-961) and hepatitis B virus (HBV; odds ratio = 2.42; 95% CI 1.95-3.01) infections than healthy controls. HIV prevalence was higher in Africa compared with other continents and in in-patient (rather than out-patient) settings. Finally, 37.7% (95% CI 31.5-44.4%) of patients were sexually active; 35.0% (95% CI 6.6-59.3%) reported consistent condom use, and 55.3% (95% CI 25.0-82.4%) maintained unprotected sexual relationships.

Conclusions: Schizophrenia patients have high prevalence of STIs, with several-fold increased risks of HIV, HBV and HCV infection compared with the general population. Sexual health must be considered as an integral component of care.

Keywords: HIV; Psychotic disorders/schizophrenia; STI; contraception; sexual life.

Publication types

Review