@article {Rao117, author = {G Gopal Rao and L Bacon and J Evans and Y Dejahang and P Michalczyk and N Donaldson and on behalf of Lewisham Chlamydia and Gonoccoccus Screening Programme}, title = {Prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection in young subjects attending community clinics in South London}, volume = {84}, number = {2}, pages = {117--121}, year = {2008}, doi = {10.1136/sti.2007.026914}, publisher = {The Medical Society for the Study of Venereal Disease}, abstract = {Objectives: To describe the prevalence and epidemiology of gonococcal infection in young subjects attending community clinics in South-East London.Methods: Subjects \<25 years of age participating in the National Chlamydia Screening Programme were tested for gonococcal infection using a nucleic acid amplification test (strand displacement amplification assay).Results: 10 523 tests were performed in 7369 patients (82\% female) over a 2-year period in 2004 and 2005. Specimens used for tests were self-taken vulvovaginal swabs (43\%), cervical swabs (40\%), urine (16\%) and urethral swabs (0.9\%). Reasons for tests were: screening (67\%), diagnosis (27\%) and contacts of patients with chlamydia or gonococcus infection (7\%). A significantly higher percentage of male subjects were tested as contacts (19\% male vs 4\% female; p\<0.001). Of the 10 117 cases with definite results, 414 were positive (prevalence 4.1\%, 95\% CI 3.7\% to 4.5\%). There was a significantly higher prevalence in male subjects (5.7\% male v 3.8\% female; p\<0.001). The average number of tests was 1.4 per patient (range 1{\textendash}10). Contacts had a significantly higher prevalence (15.5\%, p\<0.001) than those tested for diagnostic (3.6\%) or screening (3.1\%) purposes. Multivariate regression analysis confirmed that there was a significantly higher prevalence in black Caribbean (5.8\%, OR 2.44), black British/other black (5.6\%, OR 2.33) and mixed (5.5\%, OR 2.25) than white (2.4\%) ethnic groups (p\<0.001). Increasing age was significantly associated with lower prevalence (OR = 0.87; 95\% CI 0.84 to 0.91; p\<0.001). The odds of a positive test decreased by 13\% for every year older.Conclusion: A community-screening programme has detected a high prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in South London, especially in teenagers, male subjects and certain ethnic groups.}, issn = {1368-4973}, URL = {https://sti.bmj.com/content/84/2/117}, eprint = {https://sti.bmj.com/content/84/2/117.full.pdf}, journal = {Sexually Transmitted Infections} }