Prevalence of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae among men screened for Chlamydia Trachomatis in four United States cities, 1999-2003.
OBJECTIVE
Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections are the second most commonly reported disease in the United States and cause significant morbidity. We describe the prevalence of gonorrhea in a large sample of men tested for gonorrhea and Chlamydia trachomatis in Baltimore, Denver, San Francisco, and Seattle.


METHODS
Gonorrhea prevalence was measured among 17,712 men tested in a variety of non-sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic venues using urine-based nucleic acid amplification tests.


RESULTS
Among 16,850 asymptomatic men, prevalence ranged from 0% to 1.5% by city (P=0.20): Baltimore 1.3%, Denver 1.5%, San Francisco 1.5%, and Seattle 0%. Among 862 symptomatic men, the gonorrhea prevalence varied from 0.0% to 28.3% by city (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The high prevalence of gonorrhea in symptomatic men supports the importance of testing for symptomatic men. The prevalence of gonorrhea among asymptomatic men is low, and routine screening cannot be recommended when screening is performed for chlamydia, unless a substantial local prevalence of gonorrhea can be documented in specific targeted venues or population groups.
Gaydos
Charlotte Ann
CA
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA. cgaydos@jhmi.edu
Kent
Charlotte Kathleen
CK
Rietmeijer
Cornelis Arthur
CA
Willard
Nancy Jo
NJ
Marrazzo
Jeanne Marisa
JM
Chapin
Johanna Beach
JB
Dunne
Eileen Frances
EF
Markowitz
Lauri Ellen
LE
Klausner
Jeffrey David
JD
Ellen
Jonathan Mark
JM
Schillinger
Julia Ann
JA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014504:Urban Health