Sexually Transmitted Infection Among Adolescents and Young Adults With Bipolar Disorder: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study

Background: Evidence has shown a significant association between bipolar disorder and prevalence of risky sexual behaviors. However, the relationship between bipolar disorder and risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) requires further investigation, as do the effects of bipolar disorder medications on STI risk.

Methods: In the present study, data from 26,028 adolescents and young adults with bipolar disorder (ICD-9-CM code 296 except 296.2x, 296.3x, 296.9x, and 296.82) and 104,112 age- and sex-matched non-bipolar-disorder controls from 2001 to 2009 were selected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Patients who contracted any type of STI—including human immunodeficiency virus, syphilis, genital warts, gonorrhea, chlamydial infection, and trichomoniasis—during the follow-up period (from enrollment to the end of 2011) were identified.

Results: Cox regression analysis with full adjustment for demographic data, psychiatric comorbidities, and bipolar disorder medications showed that bipolar disorder was an independent risk factor (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.62-4.66) for contracting an STI. Patients with bipolar disorder and substance and/or alcohol use disorders were at highest risk of STI occurrence. Long-term use of mood stabilizers (HR = 0.54; 95% CI, 0.34-0.86) and atypical antipsychotics (HR = 0.82; 95% CI, 0.71-0.95) was associated with reduced risk for contracting STIs.

Conclusions: Adolescents and young adults with bipolar disorder exhibited an increased risk of subsequent STI during the follow-up period compared with those without bipolar disorder. Comorbidity of substance and alcohol use disorders further increased this risk. Long-term use of bipolar disorder medications (mood stabilizers and atypical antipsychotics) may reduce this risk.

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