The Characteristics of Patients Frequently Tested and Repeatedly Infected with Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Juliën Wijers, Christian Hoebe, Nicole Dukers-Muijrers, Petra Wolffs and Geneviève van Liere
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Juliën Wijers: Department Social Medicine and Medical Microbiology, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), P.O. Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands
Christian Hoebe: Department Social Medicine and Medical Microbiology, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), P.O. Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands
Nicole Dukers-Muijrers: Department Social Medicine and Medical Microbiology, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), P.O. Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands
Petra Wolffs: Department Social Medicine and Medical Microbiology, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), P.O. Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands
Geneviève van Liere: Department Social Medicine and Medical Microbiology, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), P.O. Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 5, 1-10

Abstract: We assessed whether patients repeatedly infected with Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) were different compared to patients repeatedly tested negative, to obtain insight into the characteristics of patients frequently tested and infected with NG. All patients tested for NG (n = 16,662) between January 2011 and July 2018 were included. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed for the outcomes “repeat NG infections” and “once NG positive and not retested” versus patients “repeatedly tested NG negative”. Of the individuals tested for NG, 0.2% (40/16,662) had repeat (≥2) NG infections, and accounted for 23% of all diagnosed NG infections. STI clinic patients, men (mostly men who have sex with men (MSM)), patients aged ≥25 years, and patients co-infected with HIV or Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) more often had repeat NG infections. The number of patients not retested after their initial NG diagnosis was 29.9% (92/308). Men (mostly MSM), HIV positive patients, and patients notified for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were more often NG positive and not retested. Concluding, only 40 patients tested for NG accounted for one in four diagnosed NG infections. However, re-infections are likely to be missed among MSM and HIV positive patients, as they were mainly not retested after NG infection. It remains important to test and re-test for NG, especially in MSM, in order to halt transmission.

Keywords: gonorrhoeae; retesting; repeat infection; sexually transmitted infections (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:5:p:1495-:d:325211

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