Community screening for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis among patrons of sex-on-premises venues: two years later

To assess the prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis infections among men who have sex with men, a screening program was conduc ted at two inner city sex-on-premises venues and one gay health service in 1999. First-catch urine specimens were collected for analysis by Amplicor p olymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of both N gonorrhoeae and C trachomatis; throat swabs were also collected for culture for N gonorrhoe ae and for detection of C trachomatis by PCR. Of the 90 men tested at gay s aunas, 3 per cent were urine PCR positive for C trachomatis, and one was th roat PCR positive for C trachomatis. None were positive for N gonorrhoeae. A similar screening program conducted in 1997 at sex-on-premises venues det ected no infections for either C trachomatis or N gonorrhoeae out of a tota l of 148 men tested by urine PCR. Of the 33 men tested at the gay health se rvice in 1999, one was urine PCR positive for N gonorrhoeae.