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Prevalence of chlamydia and gonorrhea in US Air Force male basic trainees
  1. Jacqueline Kate Wade1,
  2. Joseph Marcus2,3,
  3. John Kieffer4,
  4. Korey Kasper4,
  5. Joshua Smalley4
  1. 1 Adolescent Medicine, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, USA
  2. 2 Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F Edward Hebert School of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
  3. 3 Department of Medicine, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, USA
  4. 4 Trainee Health, Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Jacqueline Kate Wade, Adolescent Medicine, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, USA; jacqueline.k.wade.mil{at}health.mil

https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2023-055954

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    The incidence rates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) and Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) have been increasing over the past decade.1 Despite the increased burden of disease, current guidelines recommend only screening for GC and CT in select asymptomatic men, including those with HIV or at high risk of sexually transmitted infection (STI) acquisition.2 3 Due to these recommendations, most of the data in male asymptomatic GC and CT infection rates come from sexual health clinics with rates between 5% and 10%.4 The infection rate in other male populations is largely unknown.

    Service members who join the US Air Force (USAF) are approximately 75% male, and most trainees are in their late teens or early 20s. Studies over the past two decades reflect that the military population is at high risk of STI acquisition.5 Previous large-scale screening of male military recruits conducted in 2001 showed 5% infection of CT, similar to rates seen in sexual health clinics.6 Reasons for the high GC and CT burden in military recruits include being younger aged and showing higher risk-taking behaviours.7 Importantly, military service members’ sexual networks frequently include other service members, which may lead to rapid …

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    Footnotes

    • Handling editor Lenka Vodstrcil

    • Twitter @JosephMarcusID

    • Contributors JKW: concept, study design, data collection, interpretation of data, drafting of manuscript, final approval of the version to be published. JEM: interpretation of data, drafting of manuscript, final approval of the version to be published. JK: concept, study design, data collection, final approval of the version to be published. KK: concept, study design, data collection, drafting of manuscript, final approval of the version to be published. JS: concept, study design, data collection, interpretation of data, drafting of manuscript, final approval of the version to be published.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.