Analysis of the sex ratio of reported gonorrhoea incidence in Shenzhen, China

Xiong, Mingzhou; Lan, Lina; Feng, Tiejian; Zhao, Guanglu; Wang, Feng; Hong, Fuchang; Wu, Xiaobing; Zhang, Chunlai; Wen, Lizhang; Liu, Aizhong; Best, John McCulloch; Tang, Weiming

The gonorrhoea incidence among males and females is underestimated in China. These inaccurate estimates may impede gonorrhoea treatment and control. First, health policymakers may not be aware of the true prevalence and severity of the NG epidemic leading to an inadequate allocation of resources. Second, the inaccurately reported data may lead physicians and public health doctors to put more efforts into screening male patients versus female patients. Third, untreated NG infection can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, or even infertility and ectopic pregnancy in females. This contributes a large part to the disease burden across the world, especially in developing countries. 1 Moreover, these undiagnosed cases could become a hidden reservoir of gonorrhoea infection and lead to a much more serious spread of the disease. In recent years, drug-resistant NG has been increasingly common due to the irregular use and abuse of antibiotics. 20 'Superbugs', which are resistant to ceftriaxone, have been found in several countries since being identified in Japan in 2011.