Repeated gonorrhea: An analysis of importance and risk factors Article

Brooks, GF, Darrow, WW, Day, JA. (1978). Repeated gonorrhea: An analysis of importance and risk factors . JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, 137(2), 161-169. 10.1093/infdis/137.2.161

cited authors

  • Brooks, GF; Darrow, WW; Day, JA

authors

abstract

  • This study was designed to assess the epidemiological importance of repeated infections due to Neisseria gonorrhoeae and to analyze variables potentially associated with repeated gonorrhea. The retrospective analysis was of 7,347 patients seen during one year, and the prospective study was of a stratified randomly selected sample of 429 patients. The 492 retrospectively identified repeaters constituted 0,06% of the county population and 6.7% of the clinic population. The 492 repeaters had 21.6% of the cases of gonorrhea reported from the county and 29.4% of the cases reported from the clinic. The repeaters tended to be younger than those without repeated infection (P < 0.(01), male (62%), black (81.7%), and residents of areas of lower socioeconomic status than those who were not repeaters (P < 0.001). Most repeaters (73.5%) had not graduated from high school. Repeaters did not have significantly greater numbers of sex partners (P > 0.05) or greater exposure to prostitutes or clients than those who did not have repeated infections and less frequently had sexual contact while symptomatic. Intensive follow-up of the small number of high-risk repeaters and their contacts could result in a major reduction in the number of reported cases of gonorrhea. © 1978 by the University of Chicago. All rights reserved.

publication date

  • January 1, 1978

published in

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

start page

  • 161

end page

  • 169

volume

  • 137

issue

  • 2