Gonorrhea Infection

Despite differences in the degree of association, both survival models found that demographic characteristics are associated with repeat gonorrhea infection, such as younger age (< 25 years), African-American race, junior enlisted rank, and one year of military service. The literature indicates that individuals under 25 years of age are at higher risk of acquiring gonorrhea, and therefore, it is argumented that they are more likely to become reinfected with gonorrhea, as well as with other contagious infections such as chlamydia. This argument is supported by the results of two systematic reviews, which found that the risk of repeat gonorrhea infection is associated with younger age in the U.S. civilian population (Fun et al., 2007; Hosenfeld …show more content…
This finding is consistent with numerous studies in the U.S. civilian population (De, 2007; Fun et al., 2007; Hosenfeld et al., 2009). The findings also revealed that among African-American personnel, the risk of repeat infection is higher for men (hazard ratios = 2.17-2.41) than women (hazard ratios = 1.26-1.28). Such a difference was also noted by Barnett and Brundage (2000) after studying repeat chlamydia infections among U.S. Army personnel (hazard ratio for women = 1.13; hazard ratio for men = 1.82). It is possible that African-American military women are more responsive to STI prevention efforts than men due to the serious medical complications associated with STIs such as pelvic inflammatory disease. It is also possible that despite higher gonorrhea rates among women than men in the U.S. Army, sexual re-exposure to an untreated sex partner or unprotected sex with a new partner among men is more likely to occur among men than women. The validity of these arguments should be examined to develop gender-specific public health programs for gonorrhea control among military personnel, with the goal of preventing repeat STIs (Kissinger et al.,