Genitourinary Symptoms Associated with Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infections in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Oman

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the pattern of clinical presentations associated with Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted between 2015 and 2020 and included patients attending Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, who were tested for these infections using nucleic acid amplification. Results: A total of 408 women and 89 men were included. A total of 11 infections were identified in women (n = 11, 2.7%) and 14 in men (n = 14, 15.7%). Chlamydia accounted for almost all infections in women (n = 10, 90.9%), commonly presenting with lower abdominal pain or abnormal vaginal bleeding. In men, urethral discharge/dysuria syndrome was the most common presentation and chlamydia was identified in eight men and gonorrhoea in six; a majority of all infections were seen in patients ≤35 years old. Conclusion: The relative prevalence of two common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among patients with genitourinary symptoms at a tertiary referral hospital have been described. The pattern of their presentations will inform the design of prospective studies to improve surveillance and guide public health policy in Oman. This study highlights the need for a multi-sectoral approach involving all providers to enable comprehensive STI surveillance.

Keywords: Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Chlamydia trachomatis; Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Oman.