不戴安全套的性接触是性活跃的成人和青少年患淋病的主要原因。这可能包括牵涉粘膜衬里孔道(口咽部、阴道和肛门)的任何插入性性行为(通常指阴茎)。[8]Ellen JM, Langer LM, Zimmerman RS, et al. The link between the use of crack cocaine and the sexually transmitted diseases of clinic population: comparison of adolescents with adults. Sex Transm Dis. 1996 Nov-Dec;23(6):511-6.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8946638?tool=bestpractice.com[9]Liau A, Diclemente RJ, Wingood GM, et al. Associations between biologically confirmed marijuana use and laboratory-confirmed sexually transmitted diseases among African American adolescent females. Sex Transm Dis. 2002 Jul;29(7):387-90.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12170126?tool=bestpractice.com[10]Mertz KJ, Finelli L, Levine WC, et al. Gonorrhea in male adolescents and young adults in Newark, New Jersey: implications of risk factors and patients preferences for prevention strategies. Sex Transm Dis. 2000 Apr;27(4):201-7.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10782741?tool=bestpractice.com[11]Boyer CB, Shafer MA, Teitle E, et al. Sexually transmitted diseases in a health maintenance organization teen clinic: association of race, partner's age and marijuana use. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1999 Aug;153(8):838-44.http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/153/8/838http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10437757?tool=bestpractice.com 据估计,在单次无保护异性性接触中,男性对女性的传播几率约为 58%,女性对男性的传播几率约为 23%。[12]Platt R, Rice PA, McCormack WA. Risk of acquiring gonorrhea and prevalence of abnormal adnexal finding among women exposed to gonorrhea. J Am Med Assoc. 1983 Dec 16;250(23):3205-9.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6417362?tool=bestpractice.com[13]Hooper RR, Reynolds GH, Jones OG, et al. Cohort study of venereal diseases: the risk of gonorrhea transmission from infected women to men. Am J Epidemiol. 1978 Aug;108(2):136-44.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/707474?tool=bestpractice.com
婴儿淋球菌感染通常是由于出生时接触受感染的宫颈分泌物所致。 通常在出生后 2~5 天急性发病。 最严重的表现为新生儿眼炎和脓毒症,可能包括关节炎和脑膜炎。 不太严重的表现包括鼻炎、阴道炎、尿道炎和胎儿监测部位的再感染。 若不及时治疗,新生儿眼炎可能导致严重的眼部并发症或播散性感染。
淋球菌感染增加了 HIV 性传播的风险(尿道炎病例中精液的 HIV 病毒载量增加表明了这一点),相对风险可能加倍。[14]Sadiq ST, Taylor S, Bennett SB, et al. The effects of antiretroviral therapy on HIV-1 RNA loads in seminal plasma in HIV-positive patients with and without urethritis. AIDS. 2002 Jan 25;16(2):219-25.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11807306?tool=bestpractice.com[15]Røttingen JA, Cameron DW, Garnett GP. A systematic review of the epidemiologic interactions between classic sexually transmitted diseases and HIV: how much really is known? Sex Transm Dis. 2001 Oct;28(10):579-97.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11689757?tool=bestpractice.com
淋球菌在人体外并不会存活很长时间,因此,对于所有患有淋病的儿童,必须强烈怀疑性虐待。[16]Neinstein LS, Goldenring J, Carpenter S. Nonsexual transmission of sexually transmitted diseases: an infrequent occurrence. Pediatrics. 1984 Jul;74(1):67-76.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6610855?tool=bestpractice.com[17]Rogstad KE, Wilkinson D, Robinson A. Sexually transmitted infections in children as a marker of child sexual abuse and direction of future research. Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2016 Feb;29(1):41-4.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26658657?tool=bestpractice.com