Background: As public health personnel and resources are redirected to COVID-19, sexually transmitted diseases (STD) programs have been unable to sustain pre-COVID-19 activities. Methods:We used California (CA) surveillance data to describe trends in case reporting for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis of any stage in the pre-versus post-COVID-19 eras (January-June 2019 and January-June 2020). We also analyzed data from an electronic survey administered by the CA STD Control Branch to local health jurisdictions in April, June, and September of 2020, assessing the impact of COVID-19 on STD programs.Results: There were sharp declines in cases of all reportable bacterial STDs occurring in conjunction with the March 19, 2020 CA stay-at-home order, most of which did not return to baseline by July. Comparing January-June 2020 to January-June of 2019, there were decreases in reported cases of chlamydia (31%), late syphilis (19%), primary/secondary syphilis (15%), early nonprimary nonsecondary syphilis (14%), and gonorrhea (13%). The largest percentage declines in STD case reporting were among Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Black persons. Seventy-eight percent of local health jurisdiction respondents indicated that half or more of their workforce had been redeployed to COVID-19 by September 2020.Conclusions: During the COVID-19 era, STD case reporting and programmatic functions have diminished throughout CA. Because this may contribute to decreases or delays in STD diagnosis and treatment-with resultant increases in STD transmission-providers and public health officials should prepare for potential increases in STD-related morbidity in the months and years to come.

Background California has experienced an increase in reported cases of disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI). Given significant morbidity associated with DGI and the ability of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to rapidly develop antibiotic resistance, characterizing these cases can inform diagnosis, management, and prevention of DGI. Methods As part of the public health response to increased reports of DGI, we used gonorrhea surveillance data reported to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to identify all DGI cases in a geographically-bound region. Standardized case report forms were used to collect epidemiologic risk factors and clinical information obtained from provider/laboratory report, medical records, and patient interviews. Results From July 1, 2020 to July 31, 2021, we identified 149 DGI patients among 63,338 total gonorrhea infections reported to CDPH, representing 0.24% of gonorrhea cases. Estimated incidence was 0.47 DGI cases per 100,000 person-years. Mean age of DGI patients was 40 years, and 75 (50%) were cisgender men, of whom only 13 were known to have male partners. Where reported, over a third (36%) used methamphetamine and nearly a quarter (23%) experienced homelessness. Clinically, 61% lacked urogenital, pharyngeal, or rectal symptoms; 2 patients died in the hospital. Among 47 isolates from patients with antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) results available, all were susceptible to ceftriaxone and cefixime. Conclusions Most DGI patients lacked urogenital symptoms and were not among populations for which routine gonorrhea screening is currently recommended. Expanding gonorrhea screening might prevent DGI. Cefixime is likely the best option if transitioning from parenteral to oral therapy when AST results are not available.

Background: HIV co-infection among persons diagnosed with gonorrhea is not well characterized. Trends in HIV prevalence among persons diagnosed with gonorrhea may have significant implications for HIV prevention interventions, especially for MSM. MSM are increasingly and disproportionately represented among incident gonorrhea cases reported in a multistate sentinel surveillance network. Using data from this network, we estimated HIV prevalence among MSM by self-report and explored trends in co-infection by key demographics.Design: Observational study using enhanced surveillance data.Methods: Six geographically diverse jurisdictions in the STD Surveillance Network (SSuN) 2010-2019 randomly sampled laboratory-confirmed gonorrhea cases. Enhanced investigations on sampled cases included patient interviews eliciting demographic, behavioral and HIV testing history. These data were weighted to adjust for study design and nonresponse to estimate trends in HIV prevalence.Results: Of 653 522 reported cases, 28 979 were sampled and investigated. The proportion of cases reporting living with diagnosed HIV at the time of their gonorrhea diagnosis increased 61% across the study period from 6.6% in 2010 to 10.8% in 2019. The observed increase in HIV prevalence is concurrent with an increase in the proportion of gonorrhea cases attributable to MSM. HIV prevalence among MSM decreased in two jurisdictions and increasing trends were observed among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic MSM. HIV prevalence decreased among non-Hispanic white MSM, MSM under 20 and those 40 years of age or older. Conclusion:Diagnosis with gonorrhea, especially among MSM, should be a sentinel event triggering screening for HIV, referral to high-impact HIV prevention interventions or to HIV primary care.

With the exception of one jurisdiction in the STD Surveillance Network actively promoting EPT use, patient-reported receipt of the intervention remains suboptimal across the network. Additional efforts to promote EPT, especially for patients diagnosed in private provider and hospital settings, are needed to realize the full potential of this valuable gonorrhea control intervention.

The California Chlamydia Screening Project demonstrated consistently high rates of chlamydia screening and positivity among adolescent females while keeping costs low for high-volume facilities. Further improvement in timely treatment rates remains a challenge for extending the impact of screening in this high-risk population.