Abstract

PIP: The study objective was to measure the prevalence of cervical gonorrhoea in women attending a central London family planning clinic and to assess the need for routine screening. Between April 1974 and December 1975 1000 women were screened for cervical gonorrhoea at the Margaret Pyke Center for Study and Training in Family Planning. The median age of the women in the study was 23 years of age; 70% were single, 23% married, and 7% divorced, separated or widowed. 66% belonged to social class 3 (Registrar-General's Classification), 13% to social class 2, and 16% were unclassifiable. 14% were visitors from overseas. The majority of the women were using oral contraception. Specimens were taken from the endocervix with platinum wire loops. Gram-stained slides and cultures on Columbia-Agar medium, 48 hours after inoculation and incubation at 37 degrees C in a CO2-enriched atmosphere, were examined by 1 of the investigators at the Department of Microbiology of the Middlesex Hospital Medical School. 4 cases of cervical gonorrhoea were diagnosed, all of which were asymptomatic. Gonorrhoea was also diagnosed in 6 male contacts. Ideally, facilities for selective screening for gonorrhoea should be available in family planning clinics, but the lack of a simple, cheap diagnostic test seems to make their provision impracticable at this time.