Prescription opioid use, illicit drug use, and sexually transmitted infections among participants from a community engagement program in North Central Florida

Introduction: In Alachua County, a prominent county in North Central Florida, rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea are significantly higher than national and state levels (Florida Department of Health, 2010). Along with the high rates of STIs, Alachua County is also a high drug trafficking area (ONDCP, 2013). This analysis examines the intersection between prescription opioid use, illicit drug use, and STIs among Alachua County participants. Methods: Cross-sectional data come from 2,194 Alachua County community members interviewed by Community Health Workers (CHWs) from HealthStreet, a community engagement program of the University of Florida. Demographic characteristics, health risk factors and health conditions were obtained. Results: Among participants, 9.3% reported ever having an STI, 40% reported lifetime use of prescription opioids, and 53% reported ever using an illicit drug. Persons who reported using an illicit drug or an illicit drug plus prescription were 2.89 and 4.12 times as likely to report one or more STIs respectively, compared to those who never used these drugs. Prescription opioid use alone was not statistically related to STIs though female gender (AOR 3.75), lower education (AOR 1.45) and food insecurity (AOR 1.52) were. Discussion: Those who report a history illicit drug use with or without prescription opioid use are at increased risk for STIs and could benefit from prevention programs. Those with factors that are proxies for other disparities (lower education, food insecurity) are especially important targets for intervention among women.