Disseminated gonococcal infection: a potential marker of failing sexually transmitted infection control and prevention services

The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected routine STI testing leading to undiagnosed and untreated infections,1 a new obstacle among a series of issues related to STI control in the USA.2 In November 2020, the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) cited reports of disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI) as a result of "... people not seeking care or getting routine testing during the COVID-19 pandemic".1 AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF)—a non-profit organisation providing free walk-in STI services—conducted a retrospective cohort review of all patients who tested gonorrhoea positive at its four California clinics in Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland in October 2020. As per CDPH recommendations for monitoring DGI, positive gonorrhoea cases were checked for reported symptoms at the time of their gonorrhoea test visit including fever, joint pain, swelling of joints, or skin lesions.3 Among 214 patients who tested gonorrhoea positive...
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Tags: Open access PostScript Source Type: research