Is rectal gonorrhoea a lead indicator of HIV transmission among men who have sex with men in Victoria, Australia?
Anna L. Wilkinson A B E , Megan S. C. Lim A B , Mark Stoové A , Christopher K. Fairley C D , Marcus Chen C D , Carol El-Hayek A , Ian Denham C and Margaret Hellard AA Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia.
B Department of Epidemiolgy and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia.
C Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Carlton, Vic. 3053, Australia.
D School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic. 3052, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: awilkinson@burnet.edu.au
Sexual Health 10(2) 188-189 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH12145
Submitted: 27 August 2012 Accepted: 31 August 2012 Published: 21 December 2012
Abstract
Objectives: To examine whether rectal gonorrhoea (RG; Neisseria gonorrhoeae) can be used as a lead indicator of trends in HIV diagnosis in men who have sex with men (MSM). Methods: Data from a metropolitan sexual health centre in Victoria, Australia, on RG and HIV tests in HIV-negative MSM from January 2006 to December 2011 were examined. Results: Allowing RG a 12-month lead over HIV showed no concordance in proportion positive (r = 0.27; P-value = 0.28). Conclusions: The data do not support use of RG trends as a lead indicator of trends in HIV among MSM.
Additional keywords: gay men, surveillance, trends.
References
[1] McMillan A, Young H, Ogilvie M, Scott G. Clinical practice in sexually transmissible infections. London: Elsevier Science; 2002.[2] Zablotska IB, Kippax S, Grulich A, Holt M, Prestage G. Behavioural surveillance among gay men in Australia: methods, findings and policy implications for the prevention of HIV and other sexually transmissible infections. Sex Health 2011; 8 272–9.
| Behavioural surveillance among gay men in Australia: methods, findings and policy implications for the prevention of HIV and other sexually transmissible infections.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 21851766PubMed |
[3] The Kirby Institute. HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections in Australia. Annual surveillance report. Sydney: The Kirby Institute, the University of New South Wales; 2011. Available online at: http://www.med.unsw.edu.au/NCHECRweb.nsf/resources/2011/$file/KIRBY_ASR2011.pdf [verified February 2012].
[4] Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA). National notifiable diseases surveillance system. Canberra: DoHA; 2012. Available online at: http://www9.health.gov.au/cda/source/cda-index.cfm [verified January 2012].
[5] Department of Health, Victoria (DoHV). Surveillance of notifiable infectious diseases in Victoria 2005. Melbourne: DoHV; 2005. Available online at: http://docs.health.vic.gov.au/docs/doc/878E51744569B94FCA2578C00020012C/$FILE/SNID%2005.pdf [verified January 2012].
[6] Department of Health, Victoria (DoHV). HIV/AIDS in Victoria. Melbourne: DoHV; 2011. Available online at: http://docs.health.vic.gov.au/docs/doc/DFDE2C1E282B895CCA2579AC00141703/$FILE/HIV%20Monthly%20Report%20201112.pdf [verified March 2012].
[7] Bernstein KT, Marcus JL, Nieri G, Philip SS, Klausner JD. Rectal gonorrhea and chlamydia reinfection is associated with increased risk of HIV seroconversion. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2010; 53 537–43.
| Rectal gonorrhea and chlamydia reinfection is associated with increased risk of HIV seroconversion.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 19935075PubMed |
[8] Hook EW, Handsfield HH. Gonococcal infections in the adult. In Holmes KK, Sparling PF, Stamm WE, Piot P, Wasserheit JN, Corey L, et al., editors. Sexually transmitted diseases. Fourth edn. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008.
[9] When gonorrhea rates rise, can HIV be far behind? CDC’s latest STD report notes disturbing trend. AIDS Alert 2001; 16 25–6.
| 15446224PubMed |
