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Tran J, Fairley CK, Ong JJ, Aung ET, Chow EPF. Association between saliva use for masturbation and urethral gonorrhoea in men who have sex with men: A cross-sectional study. Int J Infect Dis 2024; 148:107219. [PMID: 39181439 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2024.107219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2024] [Revised: 08/18/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The saliva of individuals with oropharyngeal gonorrhoea can contain viable Neisseria gonorrhoeae. This study examined if using saliva as a lubricant for masturbation is a risk factor for urethral gonorrhoea among men who have sex with men (MSM). METHODS In this cross-sectional study, MSM aged ≥18 years attending the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre between February 2021 and December 2023 were surveyed. Data were collected on sexual activities in the past 7 days, including receiving fellatio, condomless insertive anal sex, docking, and using saliva for masturbation. Multivariable logistic regression examined associations between these exposures and urethral gonorrhoea. RESULTS The median age of the 3114 men was 32 (IQR: 27-40), with 4.7% (n = 145) testing positive for urethral gonorrhoea. Urethral gonorrhoea was independently associated with an increasing number of partners for condomless insertive anal sex (P < 0.001). It was not significantly associated with receiving fellatio (P = 0.613), docking (P = 0.207), or using saliva for masturbation (P = 0.117). However, of the 110 men who only used saliva for masturbation, two (1.8%) had urethral gonorrhoea, and one (0.9%) had both urethral and oropharyngeal gonorrhoea. CONCLUSION Condomless insertive anal sex is the leading risk factor for urethral gonorrhoea and not using saliva as a lubricant for masturbation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Tran
- Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; School of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Christopher K Fairley
- Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; School of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jason J Ong
- Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; School of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ei T Aung
- Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; School of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Eric P F Chow
- Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; School of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Xu X, Chow EPF, Ong JJ, Shen M, Wang C, Hocking JS, Fairley CK, Zhang L. Modelling the potential role of saliva use during masturbation in the transmission of Neisseria gonorrhoeae at multiple anatomical sites. Sex Health 2021; 18:466-474. [PMID: 34914887 DOI: 10.1071/sh21138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Background Neisseria gonorrhoeae can be cultured from saliva in men with pharyngeal gonorrhoea and could theoretically be transmitted from the pharynx to the urethra when saliva is used as a lubricant for masturbation. In this work, we proposed that saliva use during masturbation may be a potential transmission route of gonorrhoea. Methods We analysed the transmission of Neisseria gonorrhoeae at the oropharynx, urethra and anorectum with mathematical models among men who have sex with men using data from six different studies. Model 1 included transmission routes (oral sex, anal sex, rimming, kissing, and three sequential sex practices). In Model 2, we added saliva use during solo masturbation and mutual masturbation to model 1. Results Model 2 could replicate single site infection at the oropharynx, urethra and anorectum and multi-site infection across six different datasets. However, the calibration of Model 2 was not significantly different from Model 1 across four datasets. Model 2 generated an incidence of gonorrhoea from masturbation of between 5.2% (95% CI: 3.2-10.1) to 10.6% (95% CI: 5.8-17.3) across six data sets. Model 2 also estimated that about one in four cases of urethral gonorrhoea might arise from solo masturbation and mutual masturbation. Conclusions Our models raise the possibility that saliva use during masturbation may play a role in transmitting gonorrhoea. This is an important area to explore because it contributes to the knowledge base about gonorrhoea transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianglong Xu
- Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, 580 Swanston Street, Carlton, Vic. 3053, Australia; and Faculty of Medicine, Central Clinical School, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia; and China Australia Joint Research Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Centre, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, PR China
| | - Eric P F Chow
- Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, 580 Swanston Street, Carlton, Vic. 3053, Australia; and Faculty of Medicine, Central Clinical School, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia; and Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, 207 Bouverie Street, Carlton, Vic. 3053, Australia
| | - Jason J Ong
- Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, 580 Swanston Street, Carlton, Vic. 3053, Australia; and Faculty of Medicine, Central Clinical School, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia; and China Australia Joint Research Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Centre, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, PR China
| | - Mingwang Shen
- China Australia Joint Research Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Centre, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, PR China
| | - Chongjian Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Jane S Hocking
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, 207 Bouverie Street, Carlton, Vic. 3053, Australia
| | - Christopher K Fairley
- Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, 580 Swanston Street, Carlton, Vic. 3053, Australia; and Faculty of Medicine, Central Clinical School, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia; and China Australia Joint Research Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Centre, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, PR China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, 580 Swanston Street, Carlton, Vic. 3053, Australia; and Faculty of Medicine, Central Clinical School, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia; and China Australia Joint Research Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Centre, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, PR China; and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
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