Asymptomatic screening for Neisseria gonorrhoeae among gay and bisexual men attending public sexual health services in Australia and associations with patterns of ceftriaxone consumption: a retrospective observational study.

Arthur Wong; Htein Linn Aung; Rick Varma; David J Templeton; Alison Nikitas; Sarah Martin; Louise Owen; Arun Menon; Christopher K Fairley; Catriona S Bradshaw; Eric PF Chow; Jason J Ong; Mark Stoove; Rebecca Guy; Michael W Traeger

Journal article

Asymptomatic screening for Neisseria gonorrhoeae among gay and bisexual men attending public sexual health services in Australia and associations with patterns of ceftriaxone consumption: a retrospective observational study.

Arthur Wong, Htein Linn Aung, Rick Varma, David J Templeton, Alison Nikitas, Sarah Martin, Louise Owen, Arun Menon, Christopher K Fairley, Catriona S Bradshaw, Eric PF Chow, Jason J Ong, Mark Stoove, Rebecca Guy, Michael W Traeger

J Infect Dis | Published : 2026

DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiag192

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a significant public health concern due to rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Current strategies for N.gonorrhoeae among GBM include frequent (3-monthly) screening however, high-frequency screening may increase ceftriaxone consumption, potentially contributing to AMR. We investigated trends in ceftriaxone prescribing among GBM attending public sexual health services (PSHS) in Australia and the association between screening frequency and ceftriaxone consumption. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of GBM screened for N.gonorrhoeae at 16 Australian PSHS between 2016-2023. We classified N.gonorrhoeae tests and ceftriaxone prescriptions as ..

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