Gonorrhoea among men
Export Indicator
Burden of sexually transmitted infections in men.
Untreated gonococcal infection in men can result in urethral discharge and infertility and facilitate HIV transmission. Data on the number of men who test positive for N. gonorrhoeae provide information on the prevalence of infection and burden of sexually transmitted infections in men, and provide a marker of unprotected sex or sex without a condom. Data on gonorrhoea test positivity are important for understanding the challenges imposed by increasing resistance to currently recommended treatment options.
Number of men reported with laboratory-diagnosed gonorrhoea in the past 12 months
Number of men aged ≥15 years
Numerator/denominator
Routine health information systems
Annually.
None
Countries are requested to communicate the extent to which the data reported are representative of the national population and advise on how this would impact on interpretation of the data.
The capacity to test for N. gonorrhoeae varies between and within countries. In many countries, people with symptoms related to sexually transmitted infections are treated based on their symptoms and not on any test results.
Data on gonorrhoea among women, although useful for monitoring purposes at the local and national levels, are not requested at the global level because most women infected with N. gonorrhoeae are asymptomatic, and sensitive diagnostic tests for gonorrhoea among women are not widely available in low- and middle-income countries
Strategies and laboratory methods for strengthening surveillance of sexually transmitted infection 2012. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2012 (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241504478, accessed 6 November 2023).
Neisseria gonorrhoeae antimicrobial resistance surveillance: consolidated guidance. Washington: Pan American Health Organization; 2020 (https://www.paho.org/en/documents/neisseria-gonorrhoeae-antimicrobial-re..., accessed 6 November 2023).