Screening for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis at Entertainment Venues Among Men Who Have Sex with Men

In Brief Background To assess the prevalence and increase awareness of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis infections among men who have sex with men, a screening program was conducted at three inner-city homosexual entertainment venues and one community function. Study Design Each venue was accessed twice over a 3-month period between March and June 2000. First-catch urine specimens were collected for analysis by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and throat swabs were collected for culture and PCR. Results A total of 202 men were tested during the 7 screening nights, including 16 who were tested more than once. From the 186 men tested for the first time, 184 urine specimens were collected, of which 8 (4.3%; 95% CI, 1.9–7.8%) were PCR–positive for C trachomatis and 1 (0.5%; 95% CI, 0–2.1%) was PCR–positive for N gonorrhoeae. Of the 161 throat swabs collected, none were positive for C trachomatis or N gonorrhoeae. Conclusions C trachomatis is a potentially significant pathogen in this population of urban homosexual men. Screening programs such as these are valuable as health-promotion exercises. A screening program targeting men who have sex with men and conducted in three Brisbane nightclubs not only identified Chlamydia trachomatis as a significant pathogen among inner-city homosexual men but also demonstrated the value and flexibility of polymerase chain reaction as a health-promotion tool in nonclinical settings.