Clinical presentation of asymptomatic and symptomatic heterosexual men who tested positive for urethral gonorrhoea at a sexual health clinic in Melbourne, Australia
Abstract Background Asymptomatic screening for gonorrhoea in heterosexual men is currently not recommended in many countries including Australia, given the prevalence is relatively low in the heterosexual population. We aimed to determine the proportion of urethral gonorrhoea cases among heterosexua...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2020-07-01
|
| Series: | BMC Infectious Diseases |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12879-020-05197-y |
| _version_ | 1828414404548362240 |
|---|---|
| author | Mario Martín-Sánchez Jason J. Ong Christopher K. Fairley Marcus Y. Chen Deborah A. Williamson Kate Maddaford Ei T. Aung Georgia Carter Catriona S. Bradshaw Eric P. F. Chow |
| author_facet | Mario Martín-Sánchez Jason J. Ong Christopher K. Fairley Marcus Y. Chen Deborah A. Williamson Kate Maddaford Ei T. Aung Georgia Carter Catriona S. Bradshaw Eric P. F. Chow |
| author_sort | Mario Martín-Sánchez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Asymptomatic screening for gonorrhoea in heterosexual men is currently not recommended in many countries including Australia, given the prevalence is relatively low in the heterosexual population. We aimed to determine the proportion of urethral gonorrhoea cases among heterosexual men attending a sexual health clinic that was asymptomatic and symptomatic, the time since last sexual contact to the onset of symptoms and the time to clinic presentation following the onset of symptoms. Methods This was a cross-sectional study that included heterosexual men aged 16 years or above attending the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MSHC) in Australia between August 2017 and August 2018. Gonorrhoea cases were diagnosed by nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) and/or culture. Descriptive analyses were conducted for all gonorrhoea cases including demographic characteristics, recent sexual practices, reported urethral symptoms and duration, sexual contact with a person diagnosed with gonorrhoea, investigations performed and laboratory results. Results There were 116 confirmed cases of urethral gonorrhoea in heterosexual men over the study period of which 6.0% (95% CI: 2.7–12.1%) were asymptomatic. Typical urethral discharge was present in 80.2% (95% CI: 71.9–86.5%) of men. The mean time between last sexual contact and the onset of symptoms was 7.0 days, and between the onset of symptoms to presentation to the clinic was 5.6 days. Conclusions A small proportion of heterosexual men with urethral gonorrhoea do not have any symptoms. Heterosexual men with urethral symptoms usually seek for healthcare within a week, prompting rapid healthcare-seeking behaviour. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T13:25:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6a1cfa73d4e94630b6f709005e3110ba |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2334 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T13:25:41Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Infectious Diseases |
| spelling | doaj.art-6a1cfa73d4e94630b6f709005e3110ba2022-12-22T01:47:11ZengBMCBMC Infectious Diseases1471-23342020-07-012011910.1186/s12879-020-05197-yClinical presentation of asymptomatic and symptomatic heterosexual men who tested positive for urethral gonorrhoea at a sexual health clinic in Melbourne, AustraliaMario Martín-Sánchez0Jason J. Ong1Christopher K. Fairley2Marcus Y. Chen3Deborah A. Williamson4Kate Maddaford5Ei T. Aung6Georgia Carter7Catriona S. Bradshaw8Eric P. F. Chow9Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred HealthMelbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred HealthMelbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred HealthMelbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred HealthMicrobiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityMelbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred HealthMelbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred HealthMelbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred HealthMelbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred HealthMelbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred HealthAbstract Background Asymptomatic screening for gonorrhoea in heterosexual men is currently not recommended in many countries including Australia, given the prevalence is relatively low in the heterosexual population. We aimed to determine the proportion of urethral gonorrhoea cases among heterosexual men attending a sexual health clinic that was asymptomatic and symptomatic, the time since last sexual contact to the onset of symptoms and the time to clinic presentation following the onset of symptoms. Methods This was a cross-sectional study that included heterosexual men aged 16 years or above attending the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MSHC) in Australia between August 2017 and August 2018. Gonorrhoea cases were diagnosed by nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) and/or culture. Descriptive analyses were conducted for all gonorrhoea cases including demographic characteristics, recent sexual practices, reported urethral symptoms and duration, sexual contact with a person diagnosed with gonorrhoea, investigations performed and laboratory results. Results There were 116 confirmed cases of urethral gonorrhoea in heterosexual men over the study period of which 6.0% (95% CI: 2.7–12.1%) were asymptomatic. Typical urethral discharge was present in 80.2% (95% CI: 71.9–86.5%) of men. The mean time between last sexual contact and the onset of symptoms was 7.0 days, and between the onset of symptoms to presentation to the clinic was 5.6 days. Conclusions A small proportion of heterosexual men with urethral gonorrhoea do not have any symptoms. Heterosexual men with urethral symptoms usually seek for healthcare within a week, prompting rapid healthcare-seeking behaviour.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12879-020-05197-ySexually transmitted infectionsScreeningTestingUrogenitalGenitalDischarge |
| spellingShingle | Mario Martín-Sánchez Jason J. Ong Christopher K. Fairley Marcus Y. Chen Deborah A. Williamson Kate Maddaford Ei T. Aung Georgia Carter Catriona S. Bradshaw Eric P. F. Chow Clinical presentation of asymptomatic and symptomatic heterosexual men who tested positive for urethral gonorrhoea at a sexual health clinic in Melbourne, Australia BMC Infectious Diseases Sexually transmitted infections Screening Testing Urogenital Genital Discharge |
| title | Clinical presentation of asymptomatic and symptomatic heterosexual men who tested positive for urethral gonorrhoea at a sexual health clinic in Melbourne, Australia |
| title_full | Clinical presentation of asymptomatic and symptomatic heterosexual men who tested positive for urethral gonorrhoea at a sexual health clinic in Melbourne, Australia |
| title_fullStr | Clinical presentation of asymptomatic and symptomatic heterosexual men who tested positive for urethral gonorrhoea at a sexual health clinic in Melbourne, Australia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Clinical presentation of asymptomatic and symptomatic heterosexual men who tested positive for urethral gonorrhoea at a sexual health clinic in Melbourne, Australia |
| title_short | Clinical presentation of asymptomatic and symptomatic heterosexual men who tested positive for urethral gonorrhoea at a sexual health clinic in Melbourne, Australia |
| title_sort | clinical presentation of asymptomatic and symptomatic heterosexual men who tested positive for urethral gonorrhoea at a sexual health clinic in melbourne australia |
| topic | Sexually transmitted infections Screening Testing Urogenital Genital Discharge |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12879-020-05197-y |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mariomartinsanchez clinicalpresentationofasymptomaticandsymptomaticheterosexualmenwhotestedpositiveforurethralgonorrhoeaatasexualhealthclinicinmelbourneaustralia AT jasonjong clinicalpresentationofasymptomaticandsymptomaticheterosexualmenwhotestedpositiveforurethralgonorrhoeaatasexualhealthclinicinmelbourneaustralia AT christopherkfairley clinicalpresentationofasymptomaticandsymptomaticheterosexualmenwhotestedpositiveforurethralgonorrhoeaatasexualhealthclinicinmelbourneaustralia AT marcusychen clinicalpresentationofasymptomaticandsymptomaticheterosexualmenwhotestedpositiveforurethralgonorrhoeaatasexualhealthclinicinmelbourneaustralia AT deborahawilliamson clinicalpresentationofasymptomaticandsymptomaticheterosexualmenwhotestedpositiveforurethralgonorrhoeaatasexualhealthclinicinmelbourneaustralia AT katemaddaford clinicalpresentationofasymptomaticandsymptomaticheterosexualmenwhotestedpositiveforurethralgonorrhoeaatasexualhealthclinicinmelbourneaustralia AT eitaung clinicalpresentationofasymptomaticandsymptomaticheterosexualmenwhotestedpositiveforurethralgonorrhoeaatasexualhealthclinicinmelbourneaustralia AT georgiacarter clinicalpresentationofasymptomaticandsymptomaticheterosexualmenwhotestedpositiveforurethralgonorrhoeaatasexualhealthclinicinmelbourneaustralia AT catrionasbradshaw clinicalpresentationofasymptomaticandsymptomaticheterosexualmenwhotestedpositiveforurethralgonorrhoeaatasexualhealthclinicinmelbourneaustralia AT ericpfchow clinicalpresentationofasymptomaticandsymptomaticheterosexualmenwhotestedpositiveforurethralgonorrhoeaatasexualhealthclinicinmelbourneaustralia |