{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,26]],"date-time":"2026-10-26T18:36:55Z","timestamp":1793039815985,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,24]],"date-time":"2026-10-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1792800000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Int J STD AIDS"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Asymptomatic extragenital\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">Neisseria gonorrhoeae<\/jats:italic>\n                      (NG) infection contributes to ongoing transmission and may facilitate the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. This study aimed to determine NG prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, and sequence types among transgender women (TGW).\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Real-time PCR (qPCR) and culture for NG were performed on pharyngeal and rectal swabs and first-void urine (FVU) samples from TGW attending Fundaci\u00f3n Hu\u00e9sped in Buenos Aires, Argentina (August 2021-March 2022).\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">Quantification cycle<\/jats:italic>\n                      (Cq) values from qPCR-positive samples were used as a proxy for bacterial load. Culture-positive isolates underwent antimicrobial susceptibility testing and NG multi-antigen sequence typing (NG-MAST). Participants were also tested for other sexually transmitted infections (STI) and sociodemographic and behavioral data were collected by questionnaire.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We included 117 TGW: median age 32 (IQR 29-39), 55% had not completed high school, 54% were currently engaged in sex work, 55% had \u2265 5 sexual partners in the last month, and 68% reported recreational substance use in the previous year. At baseline, 46% were living with HIV, 20% had active syphilis, and 6% extragenital chlamydia. Global NG prevalence (determined by positive qPCR) was 9% (10\/117) with 9 rectal infections (8%; 9\/116), one pharyngeal infection (1%; 1\/117), and none detected in FVU. Only three of nine PCR-positive rectal samples yielded a positive culture. All isolates were susceptible to ceftriaxone and azithromycin and showed intermediate susceptibility or resistance to tetracycline. Sequence types (ST) were ST21119, ST8202, and ST21122. No associations were found between asymptomatic extragenital NG infection and sociodemographic\/behavioral factors. Seventy percent of positive PCR samples had a Cq \u2265 28, suggesting lower bacterial loads.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Asymptomatic extragenital NG infection prevalence among TGW in Buenos Aires was 9%, with no infections detected in FVU, underscoring the importance of extragenital screening. Limited culture recovery highlights the potential value of complementary approaches to antimicrobial resistance surveillance.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/09564624261495328","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,24]],"date-time":"2026-10-24T07:31:32Z","timestamp":1792827092000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Asymptomatic extragenital\n                    <i>Neisseria gonorrhoeae<\/i>\n                    infection among transgender women in Argentina: Prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility, and molecular characterization"],"prefix":"10.1177","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-9559-7198","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luciana","family":"Spadaccini","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Fundaci\u00f3n Hu\u00e9sped, Research Department, Buenos Aires, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Martin","family":"Vacchino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ANLIS Malbr\u00e1n, National Reference Laboratory for STIs, Buenos Aires, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ariel","family":"Gianecini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ANLIS Malbr\u00e1n, National Reference Laboratory for STIs, Buenos Aires, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gissella","family":"Mernies","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fundaci\u00f3n Hu\u00e9sped, Research Department, Buenos Aires, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Agustin","family":"Nava","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fundaci\u00f3n Hu\u00e9sped, Research Department, Buenos Aires, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nadir","family":"Cardozo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fundaci\u00f3n Hu\u00e9sped, Research Department, Buenos Aires, Argentina"},{"name":"Asociaci\u00f3n de Travestis, Transexuales y Transg\u00e9nero de Argentina (ATTTA), Buenos Aires, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ines","family":"Aristegui","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fundaci\u00f3n Hu\u00e9sped, Research Department, Buenos Aires, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Romina","family":"Caballero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fundaci\u00f3n Hu\u00e9sped, Research Department, Buenos Aires, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mar\u00eda Ines","family":"Figueroa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fundaci\u00f3n Hu\u00e9sped, Research Department, Buenos Aires, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Omar","family":"Sued","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pan American Health Organization, Washington, DC, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pedro","family":"Cahn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fundaci\u00f3n Hu\u00e9sped, Research Department, Buenos Aires, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Patricia","family":"Galarza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ANLIS Malbr\u00e1n, National Reference Laboratory for STIs, Buenos Aires, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_5_2_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S2666-5247(21)00171-3"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_3_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41572-019-0128-6"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_4_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1749-6632.2011.06215.x"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_5_2","volume-title":"Prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the era of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV","year":"2019","unstructured":"Prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the era of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV: World Health Organization; 2019. https:\/\/apps.who.int\/iris\/bitstream\/handle\/10665\/325908\/WHO-CDS-HIV-19.9-eng.pdf?ua=1"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/AAC.46.12.3744-3749.2002"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_7_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1071\/SH15175"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_8_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/sextrans-2015-052399"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_9_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0956462420975627"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_10_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2807\/1560-7917.ES.2018.23.27.1800323"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_11_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-015-1029-2"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_12_2","unstructured":"Frola C Caballero R Cesar C et al. 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