Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38767954›Full record

ArticleJMIR public health and surveillance2024

Understanding Risk Factors for Oropharyngeal Gonorrhea Among Sex Workers Attending Sexual Health Clinics in 2 Australian Cities: Mixed Methods Study.

Tiffany R Phillips, Christopher K Fairley, Kate Maddaford, Anna McNulty, Basil Donovan, Rebecca Guy, Ruthy McIver, Rebecca Wigan, Rick Varma, Jason J Ong and 6 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR public health and surveillance, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Tiffany R PhillipsMonash University, Clayton, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-6920-7710
Christopher K FairleyMonash University, Clayton, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-9081-1664
Kate MaddafordAlfred Health, Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Carlton, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-5213-1289
Anna McNultySydney Sexual Health Centre, Sydney, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-3174-1242
Basil DonovanThe Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-8851-4126
Rebecca GuyThe Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-2929-4634
Ruthy McIverSydney Sexual Health Centre, Sydney, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-5672-3262
Rebecca WiganAlfred Health, Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Carlton, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-4094-0833
Rick VarmaThe Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-0402-0506
Jason J OngMonash University, Clayton, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-5784-7403
Denton CallanderThe Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-4116-4250
Gabrielle SkelseyResourcing Health & Education (RhED), St Kilda, Australia.ORCID 0009-0004-1093-8526
Mish PonyScarlet Alliance, Australian Sex Workers Association, Sydney, Australia.ORCID 0009-0001-6799-587X
Dylan O'HaraVixen, Victoria's Peer Sex Worker Organisation, Melbourne, Australia.
Jade E Bilardi *Monash University, Clayton, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-0461-2605
Eric Pf Chow *Monash University, Clayton, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-1766-0657

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe risk factors for oropharyngeal gonorrhea have not been examined in sex workers despite the increasing prevalence of gonorrhea infection.

objectiveThis study aims to determine the risk factors for oropharyngeal gonorrhea in female and gender-diverse sex workers (including cisgender and transgender women, nonbinary and gender fluid sex workers, and those with a different identity) and examine kissing, oral sex, and mouthwash practices with clients.

methodsThis mixed methods case-control study was conducted from 2018 to 2020 at 2 sexual health clinics in Melbourne, Victoria, and Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. We recruited 83 sex workers diagnosed with oropharyngeal gonorrhea (cases) and 581 sex workers without (controls). Semistructured interviews with 19 sex workers from Melbourne were conducted.

resultsIn the case-control study, the median age of 664 sex workers was 30 (IQR 25-36) years. Almost 30% of sex workers (192/664, 28.9%) reported performing condomless fellatio on clients. Performing condomless fellatio with clients was the only behavior associated with oropharyngeal gonorrhea (adjusted odds ratio 3.6, 95% CI 1.7-7.6; P=.001). Most participants (521/664, 78.5%) used mouthwash frequently. In the qualitative study, almost all sex workers reported kissing clients due to demand and generally reported following clients' lead with regard to kissing style and duration. However, they used condoms for fellatio because they considered it a risky practice for contracting sexually transmitted infections, unlike cunnilingus without a dental dam.

conclusionsOur study shows that condomless fellatio is a risk factor for oropharyngeal gonorrhea among sex workers despite most sex workers using condoms with their clients for fellatio. Novel interventions, particularly targeting the oropharynx, will be required for oropharyngeal gonorrhea prevention.

Indexed as

GonorrheaSex WorkersAdultAmbulatory Care FacilitiesAustraliaCase-Control StudiesFemaleHumansMaleNew South WalesOropharynxQualitative ResearchRisk FactorsSexual BehaviorSexual HealthVictoriacase-controlcondomsoral sexqualitativetransactional sex

Identifiers

PMID38767954
PMCPMC11148521

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.