Sexually transmitted infections after bereavement – a population-based cohort study

Background Loss of a loved one has consistently been associated with various health risks. Little is however known about its relation to sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Methods We conducted a population-based cohort study during 1987–2012 using the Swedish Multi-Generation Register, including 3,002,209 women aged 10-44 years. Bereavement was defined as death of a child, parent, sibling or spouse (N = 979,579, 33 %). STIs were defined as hospital visits with an STI as main or secondary diagnosis. Poisson regression and negative binomial regression were used to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) of STIs, comparing incidence rates of women who had experienced loss to those who had not. Results Bereaved women were at significantly higher risk of nearly all STIs studied. The relative risk of any STI was highest during the first year after loss (IRR: 1.45, 95 % CI: 1.27–1.65) and predominantly among women with subsequent onset of psychiatric disorders after bereavement (IRR: 2.61, 95 % CI: 2.00–3.34). Notably, a consistent excess risk, persisting for over five years, was observed for acute salpingitis (IRR: 1.28, 95 % CI: 1.13–1.44), a severe complication of bacterial STIs. Conclusion These data suggest that women who have experienced bereavement are at increased risk of STIs. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12879-016-1705-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.