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
Borja Pedruzo
Psychiatry Department, Basurto University Hospital, Osakidetza, Basque Health Service, Bilbao, Spain
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
Lander Madaria
Psychiatry Department, Basurto University Hospital, Osakidetza, Basque Health Service, Bilbao, Spain; and Biobizkaia Health Research Institute, OSI Bilbao-Basurto, Bilbao, Spain
Javier Goena
Psychiatry Department, Basurto University Hospital, Osakidetza, Basque Health Service, Bilbao, Spain
Vanessa Sanchez-Gistau
Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, IISPV-CERCA, CIBERSAM, ISCIII, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain
Paolo Fusar-Poli
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
Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; and NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
Miguel Ángel González-Torres
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
Ana Catalan
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
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.
