AN ESTIMATE OF THE RISK OF MEN ACQUIRING GONORRHEA BY SEXUAL CONTACT WITH INFECTED FEMALES1

Abstract

Holmes, K. K., D. W. Johnson (Univ. of Oregon Medical School, Portland, Oregon 97201) and H. J. Trostle. An estimate of the risk of men acquiring gonorrhea by sexual contact with infected females. Amer. J. Epid., 1970, 97: 170–174.— Among the crew from an aircraft carrier visiting the Philippines for 6 days, 2, 191 men admitted sexual contact with a group of females known to have a prevalence of 19.7% of N. gonorrhoeae infection. The mean number of consorts visited by each man was 1.2. Seventy-seven % of the men did not use prophylaxis. Eighty-eight cases of gonorrhea were actually observed among the males in the shipboard population following the liberty period. With this information a risk estimate was developed and it appears that the risk of acquiring gonorrhea by contact with an infected female is about 22%.