Int J STD AIDS. 1999 Aug;10(8):536-8. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
We aimed to determine whether the success of partner notification for
gonorrhoea in men was affected by sexual orientation. Analysis of
standard clinic and health adviser records of all male patients found to
be infected with gonorrhoea between October 1992 and September 1993 were
carried out. Of the 278 cases of gonorrhoea in men, 9% (25) were
acquired through homosexual intercourse and 91% (253) by heterosexual
contact. Fifteen per cent (24) of Caucasians were homosexual but only
0.9% (1) of Afro-Caribbeans were. The mean number of contacts was 1.36
for homosexuals and 1.38 for heterosexuals. Contact information was
given by 55% of heterosexuals and 48% of homosexuals. The proportion of
acknowledged contacts attending was 38% for homosexuals and 56% for
heterosexuals (P = 0.054). Fifty-two per cent of homosexuals and 59% of
heterosexuals had at least one contact attend. Data analysis on
Caucasians only showed Caucasian gay men had a higher mean number of
contacts (1.38) than Caucasian heterosexuals (1.28). Caucasian
homosexuals had a lower proportion of contacts attending (40% vs. 77%)
(P = 0.05), 54% of homosexual men and 60% of heterosexual men had at
least one contact attending (P = 0.74). There is a trend for partner
notification to be less successful in homosexual men when all ethnic
groups are considered together. In Caucasian men with gonorrhoea,
homosexuals have a greater number of partners than heterosexuals and
have a lower proportion of total contacts attending but there is no
difference in the proportion having at least one contact attending. Data
on sexual orientation and ethnicity should be reported in studies
assessing efficacy of contact tracing.
JOURNAL ARTICLE *Contact Tracing/STATISTICS & NUMER DATA
Gonorrhea/*ETHNOLOGY/*EPIDEMIOLOGY/PREVENTION & CONTROL Great
Britain/EPIDEMIOLOGY Heterosexuality Homosexuality, Male Human Male
*Sexual Partners