HIV Among Those with Repeat Gonorrhea (NGC) Infections in Florida, 2011

Background: Repeat NGC infections can be an indication of risky sexual behaviors that increase the likelihood of exposure to or transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STI) including HIV.

Objectives: Compare the relative risk (RR) of HIV positivity in individuals with repeat gonorrhea infections to individuals with one gonorrhea infection over a 2.6 year time span.

Methods: STI data reported to the Florida Department of Health from January 2009 to August 2011 was examined.  In all cases of NGC, the RR of HIV positivity in individuals with 1 or more repeat NGC infections was compared to those with only 1 NGC infection.

Results: In 2.6 years, 48,050 individuals tested positive for NGC; 10% (4,803) of these individuals had 1 or more repeat NGC infections. Among those with repeat infections, 88% were ≤ 30 years of age, 76% were non-Hispanic black, the ratio of males to females was nearly 1:1, and 11% were pregnant at least once during the analysis timeframe. Six percent (281/4,803) of those with repeat infections had positive HIV tests. The RR of HIV positivity was 1.6; subgroups with a RR of HIV positivity > 1 included, individuals > 30 years of age (2.4), non-Hispanic whites (2.3), Hispanics (2.2), individuals ≤ 30 (1.8), males (1.7), pregnant women (1.4), non-Hispanic blacks (1.3), and men who have sex with men (1.1).

Conclusions:HIV positivity was higher in those with multiple NGC infections than those with one NGC infection. Those older than 30, non-Hispanic white or Hispanic were more than twice as likely to have positive HIV tests. 

Implications for Programs, Policy, and Research: Persons who test positive for NGC multiple times over a short time span are more likely to be HIV positive and possibly pose a risk of transmitting HIV to their partners.