Are we seeing a true rise in Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis in men who have sex with men in the UK?

摘要

Public Health England (PHE) recently reported a rise in Neisseria gonorrhoeae in men who have sex with men (MSM) by 61% and Chlamydia trachontatis (CT) by 48% in 2011 compared with 2010.We hypothesise there is no true rise in gonococcal (GC) and CT incidence in MSM and that recent changes are a reflection of increased testing and widespread use of highly sensitive nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs). Extra genital testing (at the rectum and throat) with dual GC-CT NAATs has been routine since 2009 in all MSM attending our service; therefore, any increase in diagnoses due to a change of testing strategy should not be reflected in our data.