Risk Factors For Incident Neisseria Gonorrhoeae In A Prospective Cohort Of Kenyan Female Sex Workers

Abstract

299 sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya were followed a median of 14 months (IQR: 6-24 months) until acquisition of GC infection or censoring. At the initial visit and subsequent visits every two months, cervical samples were collected for GC and CT testing by PCR. At baseline, 18 (6%) of the 299 women had prevalent GC infection. Thirty-one incident cases of GC were detected over 345 years of observation, giving an incidence of 9.0 GC infections per 100 women-years. After controlling for age, HIVserostatus and significant univariate variables, incident CT infection (Adjusted (A)HR = 5.9, 95% CI 2.2-15.8), and clinical findings of cervicitis (AHR = 3.1, 95% CI 1.1-8.6) remained independent risk markers for incident GC. In addition, the temporality of the relationship between the pathogens suggests a possible direct role of CT increasing the risk of GC. Research location: Kariobangi Nairobi City Council Clinic under Kenyatta National Hospital Funding: Supported by a grant from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and the National Institutes of Health through the Sexually Transmitted Disease Cooperative Research Center at the University of Washington AI31448) and Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinical Trials Unit (AI75329).