Gonorrhoea is a less common cause of lower genital tract pathology (urethritis, cervicitis) and upper genital tract pathology (PID, epididymo-orchitis) and can infect the pharyngeal mucosa and anorectal mucosa. In 2017, 28, 364 cases of gonorrhoea were notified in the Australian population, and 74% of infections were in men.
Between 2013-2017 gonorrhoea notification rates increased by 115% in major cities and by 39% in regional areas but have remained stable in remote areas. Rates of gonorrhoea are higher in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, with 30% of notifications occurring in the 15-19 year age group as compared to 9% in the non-Indigenous population. Gonorrhoea rates are highest in remote and very remote areas.
N. gonorrhoea is increasing in prevalence in urban MSM. Further, the Gay Community Periodic Surveys demonstrate increasing rates of comprehensive STI testing in gay and bisexual men. Increased rates of diagnosis of gonorrhoea and infectious syphilis in this population over the last 5 years may be partly explained by:
increased frequency of testing
improved testing technologies
an increasing trend in condomless anal sex in the context of greater access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention
Increased ...
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