Trends in syphilis case rates among women of reproductive age - United States, 2013-2022.

We analyzed syphilis case notifications in reproductive age women during 2013-2022. Late/unknown duration syphilis grew faster after 2020 (45.8% versus 17.

Mpox vaccine communication among sexually active men who have sex with men.

We assessed mpox vaccine communication and sexual behavior among U.S. MSM during the 2022 mpox outbreak.

At-home specimen self-collection as an additional testing strategy for chlamydia and gonorrhoea: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: (Ct) and (Ng) infections are often asymptomatic; screening increases early detection and prevents disease, sequelae and further spread. To increase Ct and Ng testing, several countries have implemented specimen self-collection outside a clinical setting. While specimen self-collection at home is highly acceptable to patients and as accurate as specimens collected by healthcare providers, this strategy is new or not being used in some countries.

Changes in Partner-Seeking and Sexual Behavior Among US Adults During the First 2 Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic may have influenced partner-seeking and sexual behaviors of adults.

Methods: We examined cross-sectional survey data collected at the end of the first year (n = 1161) and second year (n = 1233) of the COVID-19 pandemic by the National Opinion Research Center's nationally representative, probability-based AmeriSpeak panel. Data were analyzed to (1) quantify behavioral changes across pandemic years, (2) examine changes of in-person dating prevalence during year 2, and (3) assess risk perception for acquiring COVID-19 or HIV/STIs through new partnerships during year 2.

Primary and Secondary Syphilis Among Men Who Have Sex With Men and Women, 2010 to 2019.

The relative proportion of cases of primary and secondary syphilis among men who have sex with men and women reported through national case report data from 2010 to 2019 seemed stable overall and were stratified by race/ethnicity, region, and age group, but case counts increased.

Predicting Emergence of Primary and Secondary Syphilis Among Women of Reproductive Age in US Counties.

Background: Syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection that can cause severe congenital disease when not treated during pregnancy, is on the rise in the United States. Our objective was to identify US counties with elevated risk for emergence of primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis among women of reproductive age.

Methods: Using syphilis case reports, we identified counties with no cases of P&S syphilis among women of reproductive age in 2017 and 1 case or more in 2018.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Urogenital and Extragenital Neisseria gonorrhoeae Isolates Among Men Who Have Sex With Men: Strengthening the US Response to Resistant Gonorrhea and Enhanced Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project, 2018 to 2019.

Background: We investigated differences in gonococcal antimicrobial susceptibility by anatomic site among cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM) using specimens collected through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's enhanced Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project and Strengthening the US Response to Resistant Gonorrhea.

Methods: During the period January 1, 2018-December 31, 2019, 12 enhanced Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project and 8 Strengthening the US Response to Resistant Gonorrhea sites collected urogenital, pharyngeal, and rectal isolates from cisgender MSM in sexually transmitted disease clinics. Gonococcal isolates were sent to regional laboratories for antimicrobial susceptibility testing by agar dilution.

Demographic and Epidemiological Characteristics Associated With Reduced Antimicrobial Susceptibility to Neisseria gonorrhoeae in the United States, Strengthening the US Response to Resistant Gonorrhea, 2018 to 2019.

Background: Jurisdictions participating in Strengthening the US Response to Resistant Gonorrhea (SURRG) implemented specimen collection for culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing from a sample of persons of all genders (at multiple anatomic sites) attending sexually transmitted disease clinics and community clinics. We describe the percentage and characteristics of patients whose isolates demonstrated reduced susceptibility (RS) to azithromycin, ceftriaxone, or cefixime.

Methods: We included patients from clinics that participated in SURRG whose isolates underwent antimicrobial susceptibility testing by Etest.

Impact of Anatomic Site, Specimen Collection Timing, and Patient Symptom Status on Neisseria gonorrhoeae Culture Recovery.

Background: Neisseria gonorrhoeae culture is required for antimicrobial susceptibility testing, but recovering isolates from clinical specimens is challenging. Although many variables influence culture recovery, studies evaluating the impact of culture specimen collection timing and patient symptom status are limited. This study analyzed urogenital and extragenital culture recovery data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Strengthening the US Response to Resistant Gonorrhea (SURRG) program, a multisite project, which enhances local N.

Test of Cure Return Rate and Test Positivity, Strengthening the US Response to Resistant Gonorrhea, United States, 2018-2019.

Background: Reduced antibiotic susceptibility (RS) in Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) may increase treatment failure. Conducting tests of cure (TOC) for patients with RS-GC may facilitate identification of treatment failures.

Methods: We examined 2018 to 2019 data from 8 jurisdictions participating in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Strengthening US Response to Resistant Gonorrhea project.

Outcomes of Traditional and Enhanced Gonorrhea Partner Services in the Strengthening the US Response to Resistant Gonorrhea Project, 2017 to 2019.

Introduction: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention implemented Strengthening the US Response to Resistant Gonorrhea (SURRG) to build local detection and response capacity and evaluate responses to antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea outbreaks, including partner services for gonorrhea. We evaluated outcomes of traditional partner services conducted under SURRG, which involved (1) counseling index patients and eliciting sexual partners; (2) interviewing, testing, and treating partners; and (3) providing partner services to partners newly diagnosed with gonorrhea. We also evaluated outcomes of enhanced partner services, which additionally involved interviewing and testing partners of persons who tested negative, and social contacts of index patients and partners.

Exploring and Comparing the Structure of Sexual Networks Affected by Neisseria gonorrhoeae Using Sexual Partner Services Investigation and Genomic Data.

Background: Sexual networks are difficult to construct because of incomplete sexual partner data. The proximity of people within a network may be inferred from genetically similar infections. We explored genomic data combined with partner services investigation (PSI) data to extend our understanding of sexual networks affected by Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG).

Gonorrhea Prevalence Among Young Women and Men Entering the National Job Training Program, 2000-2017.

To examine long-term gonorrhea prevalence trends from a sentinel surveillance population of young people at elevated risk for gonorrhea. We analyzed annual cross-sectional urogenital gonorrhea screening data from 191 991 women (2000-2017) and 224 348 men (2003-2017) 16 to 24 years of age entering the National Job Training Program, a US vocational training program. We estimated prevalence among women using an expectation-maximization algorithm incorporated into a logistic regression to account for increases in screening test sensitivity; log-binomial regression was used to estimate prevalence among men.

Transactional Sex and Incident Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Among Black Men Who Have Sex With Men in Atlanta, Georgia.

Background: Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) are disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted infections (STI), including chlamydia and gonorrhea. Transactional sex is an hypothesized risk factor for STI acquisition in BMSM.

Methods: We estimated the association of transactional sex with incident chlamydia/gonococcal infection among BMSM using longitudinal data from a randomized trial in Atlanta (2012-2015).

The Influence of Screening, Misclassification, and Reporting Biases on Reported Chlamydia Case Rates Among Young Women in the United States, 2000 Through 2017.

Background: National chlamydia case rate trends are difficult to interpret because of biases from partial screening coverage, imperfect diagnostic tests, and underreporting. We examined the extent to which these time-varying biases could influence reported annual chlamydia case rates.

Methods: Annual reported case rates among women aged 15 through 24 years from 2000 through 2017 were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention AtlasPlus tool.

Chlamydia Prevalence Trends Among Women and Men Entering the National Job Training Program From 1990 Through 2012.

Background: Evaluating chlamydia prevalence trends from sentinel surveillance is important for understanding population disease burden over time. However, prevalence trend estimates from surveillance data may be misleading if they do not account for changes in risk profiles of individuals who are screened (case mix) and changing performance of the screening tests used.

Methods: We analyzed chlamydia screening data from a sentinel surveillance population of 389,555 young women (1990-2012) and 303,699 young men (2003-2012) entering the US National Job Training Program.