Research news in clinical context

Published in STI: is a diagnosis of rectal gonorrhoea a predictor of HIV risk in men who have sex with men? Incidence of rectal gonorrhoea in men who have sex with men (MSM) is regarded as an indicator of increased risk of HIV infection,1 but the relationship may be modified by effective antiretroviral treatment (ART) and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) programmes. Between 2011 and 2018 (prior to wide implementation of HIV PrEP), among 541 056 HIV-negative MSM attending sexual health services in England, incidence of rectal gonorrhoea increased from 3.45 to 11.13 per 100 person-years, whereas HIV incidence declined from 1.26 to 0.28 per 100 person-years. Thus, in a setting with highly effective ART programmes,2 rectal gonorrhoea is no longer associated with the risk of HIV acquisition at the population level. At the individual level, rectal gonorrhoea remains an important indicator for HIV PrEP....
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Tags: Perspectives Source Type: research