Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Corresponding Author: Dr. Lindley A. Sexually transmitted infections of the pharynx are common among men who have sex with men MSM ; the degree to which these infections are transmitted through oral sex is unknown.
Based on our behavioural categorization method, men reported the oropharynx as their only urethral exposure in the past 60 days in The pharynx is an important source of gonococcal transmission, and may be important in the transmission of chlamydia and other, unidentified pathogens that cause urethritis. Bacterial sexually transmitted infections STI , and gonorrhoea and chlamydia in particular, are common among men who have sex with men MSM.
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In , at 12 sentinel surveillance sites across the United States, the median proportion of MSM diagnosed with gonorrhoea and chlamydia was However, the extent to which oral sex is responsible for transmitting Neisseria gonorrhoeae , Chlamydia trachomatis and other causes of urethritis is unknown. As a secondary analysis, we compare asymptomatic urethral infections to cases of symptomatic urethritis. Cases were defined as MSM visits where symptomatic urethritis was diagnosed, and controls were all MSM visits when no urethral infection was diagnosed.
Men may have been diagnosed with urethritis on more than one visit over the 13 year study period. Each new episode of urethritis was counted separately. New problem visits were defined as visits that occurred at least 30 days after the last clinic visit, or a visit for a new complaint within 30 days of a prior clinic visit. Clinicians record exam findings for all patients seen in the STD Clinic using a standardized reporting form.
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Sexual histories were also collected by clinicians on standardized forms until when the clinic initiated a computer-assisted self-interview CASI for the collection of sexual behaviour data. For this study, we focused on symptomatic urethritis because most cases of symptomatic urethritis result from exposures in the prior 60 days,[ 3 4 ] the period for which our clinic collects sexual history data related to urethritis. Controls were defined as men who attended the clinic during the study period who had no urethral sign or symptoms and were not diagnosed with urethral infection on screening tests.
