Psychiatric co-morbidity and sex trade were tested as correlates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among 76 pregnant heroin- or cocaine-dependent women. Participants were recruited from a drug treatment programme and attended a clinician-administered assessment including the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV-TR) and self-report questionnaires about lifetime histories of sex trade and STIs (i.e. gonorrhoea, syphilis, chlamydia, herpes, genital warts or trichomonas). Lifetime and six month rates of STIs were 53.9% and 18.4%, respectively. The majority of women also had lifetime histories of psychiatric co-morbidity (61.8%) and/or sex trade (60.5%). Participants with psychiatric co-morbidity (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 3.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3-11.6) and/or sex trade (AOR 3.2; 95% CI 1.1-9.5) were more likely to report STIs during their lifetime compared with those without such histories while controlling for age, education and race/ethnicity. Results suggest that as many as one-in-five pregnant heroin- or cocaine-dependent women in treatment have one or more STIs that are concurrent with their pregnancy and may contribute to risk for contracting HIV and pregnancy complications; psychiatric co-morbidity and/or sex trade were associated with greater STI risk. Findings underscore the importance of identifying and addressing co-morbid psychiatric disorders and sex trade behaviour in this population.

Pregnancy Sexually transmitted infections Drug dependence Prostitution Psychiatric co-morbidity

herpes simplex Pregnancy Complications, Infectious pregnancy complication human comorbidity Self Report heroin dependence controlled study priority journal Medical Audit nonhuman diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders Mental Disorders sexually transmitted disease mental disease United States cocaine dependence cocaine Humans gonorrhea Sexually Transmitted Diseases Cocaine-Related Disorders Adolescent female risk factor Risk Factors questionnaire pregnancy prostitution Syphilis Article major clinical study adult diamorphine pregnant woman trichomoniasis condyloma acuminatum chlamydiasis