Routine rectal screenings for gay man, says study

Gay men should receive routine rectal screenings for the presence of chlamydia over concerns of a "reservoir" of possible infection, it has been suggested.

According to research published in the Sexually Transmitted Infections journal, more gay men were infected with rectal chlamydia than those with urethral chlamydia or rectal gonorrhoea, following a study conducted at a leading London hospital.

Researchers at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital also found that a majority of cases of rectal chlamydia did not present any symptoms and that therefore the infection would not have been identified with conventional urethral testing methods.

The study, which took into account the screening of 3,076 gay men, also looked at statistics on the dual infection between chlamydia and HIV. Results indicated that the co-infection rate was 38.1 per cent.

In conclusion, the researchers wrote: "We recommend routine screening for rectal chlamydia in men at risk, as this may represent an important reservoir for the onward transmission of infection."