Epidemiological correlates of asymptomatic gonorrhea.
OBJECTIVE
To assess correlates of asymptomatic gonorrhea among patients attending Genitourinary Medicine Clinics participating in the Gonococcal Resistance to Antimicrobials Surveillance Programme (GRASP) in England for 2001-2003.


METHODS
GRASP is a sentinel surveillance program that monitors antimicrobial resistance to Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Data collection occurs annually in June to August each year.


RESULTS
Women with previously diagnosed gonorrhea had decreased odds of asymptomatic gonococcal infection, as did women diagnosed with other sexually transmitted infections (all except chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, and warts). Heterosexual men, but not women, coinfected with chlamydia had significantly higher likelihood of being diagnosed with asymptomatic gonorrhea, as did homosexual men coinfected with syphilis and warts.


CONCLUSIONS
The heterogeneity in correlates of asymptomatic gonorrhea has implications for screening in clinical settings. Such findings also depend on the extent of testing on sexually transmitted infections from different sites of infection, which has particular relevance in homosexual men and would thus need to be investigated in other studies.
Public and Environmental Health Research Unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK. Ivana.Bozicevic@lshtm.ac.uk
Ivana
I
Bozicevic
Kevin A
KA
Fenton
Iona M C
IM
Martin
Elizabeth A
EA
Rudd
Catharine A
CA
Ison
Kiran
K
Nanchahal
Kaye
K
Wellings
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003710:Demography; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012307:Risk Factors; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology