Dataset Information

Associations between oral sex practices and frequent mouthwash use in heterosexuals: a cross-sectional survey in Melbourne, Australia.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

This study aimed to determine the frequency of mouthwash use and its association to oral sex practice in heterosexuals.

Design

A cross-sectional study.

Setting

Data obtained from a sexual health clinic in Victoria, Australia, between March 2019 and April 2019.

Participants

Heterosexual men and women attending the sexual health clinic answered a survey using computer-assisted self-interview.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Univariable and multivariable logistic regression were performed to examine the association between frequent mouthwash use (ie, daily or weekly mouthwash use) and oral sex practices (including tongue kissing, fellatio, cunnilingus and insertive rimming).

Results

There were 681 heterosexuals included in the analysis: 315 (46.3%) men and 366 (53.7%) women. Of participants, 302 (44.3%) used mouthwash frequently, 173 (25.4%) used mouthwash infrequently and 206 (30.2%) never used mouthwash. There was no significant difference in the proportion of frequent mouthwash users between men and women (46.4% of men vs 42.6% of women; p=0.329). The proportion of frequent mouthwash users increased with increasing age groups (39.3% in ?24 years, 45.2% in 25-34 years and 52.8% in ?35 years or older; p_trend=0.039) with those aged ?35 years having a 1.80 times (95% CI: 1.12 to 2.89) higher odds of being a frequent mouthwash user than those aged ?24 years. There were no significant associations between frequent mouthwash users had sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk after adjusting for age and country of birth.

Conclusion

Older heterosexuals are more likely to use mouthwash. Given the high proportion and associations of mouthwash use in heterosexuals, future investigations related to oral STIs in this group should include mouthwash use.

SUBMITTER: Phillips TR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7798804 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Associations between oral sex practices and frequent mouthwash use in heterosexuals: a cross-sectional survey in Melbourne, Australia.

Phillips Tiffany R TR Fairley Christopher K CK Bradshaw Catriona S CS Tabesh Marjan M Maddaford Kate K Hocking Jane S JS Chow Eric Pf EP

BMJ open 20210108 1

<h4>Objective</h4>This study aimed to determine the frequency of mouthwash use and its association to oral sex practice in heterosexuals.<h4>Design</h4>A cross-sectional study.<h4>Setting</h4>Data obtained from a sexual health clinic in Victoria, Australia, between March 2019 and April 2019.<h4>Participants</h4>Heterosexual men and women attending the sexual health clinic answered a survey using computer-assisted self-interview.<h4>Primary and secondary outcome measures</h4>Univariable and multi ...[more]

PMID: 33419912

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Project description:Sex practices among heterosexuals are not well studied. We aimed to explore sexual practices among heterosexuals attending a sexual health clinic. This cross-sectional survey was conducted at Melbourne Sexual Health Centre between March and April 2019. Data were collected on kissing, oral sex (fellatio or cunnilingus), vaginal sex, anal sex and rimming in the previous 3 months. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the associations between engaging in anal sex and other sex practices. There were 709 participants (333 men; 376 women) who were eligible and completed the survey (response rate was 24.6%). In the past 3 months, most participants had had vaginal sex (n = 677; 95.5%), with a mean of 3.0 (standard deviation (SD): 3.9) vaginal sex partners, and half reported engaging in condomless vaginal sex in the past 3 months (n = 358; 50.1%). A total of 135 (19.0%) participants had had anal sex, with a mean of 1.3 (SD: 1.0) anal sex partners, with 63.5% (n = 94) engaging in any condomless anal sex in the past 3 months. Most participants (n = 637, 89.8%) had received oral sex in the past 3 months; this proportion did not differ by age group or gender. Women (n = 351, 93.4%) were more likely to perform oral sex than men (n = 275; 82.6% men) (p < 0.001) and to have received rimming (26.6% women vs. 12.6% men; p < 0.001). Men were more likely to have performed rimming (25.5% men vs. 9.3% women; p < 0.001). After adjusting for age, number of partners and sexual practice, anal sex was associated with being ≥35 years (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 2.3; 95% CI: 1.2-4.2), receiving rimming (aOR: 3.8; 95% CI: 2.4-6.0) and performing rimming (aOR: 2.8; 95% CI: 1.8-4.6). Rimming and anal sex are practiced by one-fifth or more of heterosexuals. Older heterosexuals were more likely to engage in anal sex and to perform rimming. Future research should consider the benefits of testing extragenital sites where appropriate.

Project description:There has been a decrease in healthcare-associated Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in Australia, coupled with an increase in the genetic diversity of strains isolated in these settings, and an increase in community-associated cases. To explore this changing epidemiology, we studied the genetic relatedness of C. difficile isolated from patients at a major hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Whole-genome sequencing of C. difficile isolates from symptomatic (n = 61) and asymptomatic (n = 10) hospital patients was performed. Genomic comparisons were made using single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis, ribotyping, and toxin, resistome, and mobilome profiling. C. difficle clade 1 strains were found to be predominant (64/71), with most strains (63/71) encoding both toxins A and B (A+B+). Despite these similarities, only two isolates were genetically related (≤2 SNPs) and a diverse range of ribotypes was detected, with those predominating including ribotypes commonly found in community-associated cases. Five non-toxigenic (A-B-CDT-) clade 1 strains were identified, all in asymptomatic patients. Three clade 4 (A-B+CDT-) and four clade 5 (A+B+CDT+) strains were detected also, with these strains more likely to carry antimicrobial resistance determinants, many of which were associated with mobile genetic elements. Overall, within a single hospital, C. difficile-associated disease was caused by a diverse range of strains, including many strain types associated with community and environmental sources. While strains carried asymptomatically were more likely to be non-toxigenic, toxigenic strains were isolated also from asymptomatic patients, which together suggest the presence of diverse sources of transmission, potentially including asymptomatic patients. IMPORTANCE There has been a decrease in healthcare-associated Clostridioides difficile infection in Australia, but an increase in the genetic diversity of infecting strains, and an increase in community-associated cases. Here, we studied the genetic relatedness of C. difficile isolated from patients at a major hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Diverse ribotypes were detected, including those associated with community and environmental sources. Some types of isolates were more likely to carry antimicrobial resistance determinants, and many of these were associated with mobile genetic elements. These results correlate with those of other recent investigations, supporting the observed increase in genetic diversity and prevalence of community-associated C. difficile, and consequently the importance of sources of transmission other than symptomatic patients. Thus, they reinforce the importance of surveillance for in both hospital and community settings, including asymptomatic carriage, food, animals, and other environmental sources to identify and circumvent important sources of C. difficile transmission.

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Dataset Information

Associations between oral sex practices and frequent mouthwash use in heterosexuals: a cross-sectional survey in Melbourne, Australia.

Objective

Design

Setting

Participants

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Associations between oral sex practices and frequent mouthwash use in heterosexuals: a cross-sectional survey in Melbourne, Australia.

Similar Datasets

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