Specifics of the Incidence of Some Sexually Transmitted Infections in a Metropolis: The Example of St. Petersburg

Introduction: The priority tasks of protecting reproductive health include the reduction of reproductive losses and improvement of sexual well-being of the population, both impossible without resolving the problem of the spread of sexually transmitted infections. Objective: To study the rates, structure, and dynamics of the incidence and prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases in the population of a metropolis using the Russian city of St. Petersburg as an example. Materials and methods: Based on statistical materials of the Central Research Institute of Health for 2018–2022, we have analyzed incidence and prevalence rates of genital tract infections in the population of St. Petersburg, the Northwestern Federal District, and the Russian Federation. We also assessed the age, sex, and social structure based on Form No. 9, Information on sexually transmitted infections and infectious skin diseases, for the year 2022 in St. Petersburg. The Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient was used to compare the indicators with the critical significance level of 0.05. The statistical analysis and data visualization were performed using Microsoft Office Excel 2016. Results: In 2018–2022, the incidence rates of most sexually transmitted infections in the residents St. Petersburg were high and exceeded the Russian averages by 1.2 to 3.3 times. A significant increase in the proportion of females with gonococcal infection (by 34.7 %) and trichomoniasis (by 7.7 %), as well as the predominance of infected girls (in the age group of 2 to 14 years – 100 % and 15 to 17 years – 85.1 %) in relation to all the diseases under consideration, raise concerns about their fertility and the future demographic situation. The presence of the infected among the minors and a high detection rate in the unemployed carries risks of unaccounted (hidden) morbidity and an epidemic outbreak of infection. Conclusion: Negative trends and specificity of sexually transmitted infections in residents of megacities require improvement of modern approaches to their prevention and detection, including by bettering sex education for girls, broadening dispensary screening of adults and children, and conducting periodic checkups of the working-age population.