The Male Gonorrhoea "Carrier"Report of Seven Cases

Abstract

Attention is drawn to the existence of the male gonorrhea "carrier" (a man with the disease, and capable of transmitting it, but with no symptoms or with symptoms so slight as to be ignored). Seven such cases were encountered in 4 years in a venereal disease clinic. These cases are described, and the clinical and bacteriological evidence supporting the diagnosis is presented. The examinations necessary for the investigation of such cases are reviewed. In areas where the incidence of gonorrhea is increasing, or is considered not to be declining rapidly enough as a result of currently used methods of control, the possibility of male "carriers" contributing to the infectious pool (usually attributed only to females) should be considered.