{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,24]],"date-time":"2026-06-24T16:00:59Z","timestamp":1782316859839,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,17]],"date-time":"2022-11-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1668643200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"Objective<\/jats:title>This study aimed to perform a cluster analysis of symptoms linked with Neisseria gonorrhoeae<\/jats:italic> (NG) and Chlamydia trachomatis<\/jats:italic> (CT) and to identify which cluster of symptoms was associated with a higher risk of NG and CT.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>Study design<\/jats:title>From 15 April to 16 May 2018, a cross-sectional study was conducted, and patients attending sexually transmitted infections (STI) related clinics were recruited from 22 medical institutions in six districts of Shenzhen city.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>Methods<\/jats:title>A structured questionnaire was used to collect social-demographic information as well as STI symptoms, and urine samples were collected for nucleic acid detection. Cluster analysis and logistic regression were applied.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>Results<\/jats:title>Among 8,207 participants, the prevalence of CT and NG infection was 9.04% (742\/8,207) and 2.36% (194\/8,207), respectively. Among male outpatients, four clusters with distinct symptomatic patterns were identified. Unmarried, having casual sexual partners in the past 6 months, cluster 2 (OR = 6.70, 95% CI = 3.36\u201313.35) and cluster 4 (OR = 24.53, 95% CI = 12.96\u201346.44) were risk factors associated with NG infection. Unmarried, cluster 2 (OR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.83\u20133.53) and cluster 4 (OR = 3.31, 95% CI = 2.37\u20134.61) were risk factors associated with CT infection. Among female outpatients, five clusters with distinct symptomatic patterns were identified. Aged 24 years or below and cluster 3 (OR = 3.68, 95% CI = 1.61\u20138.39) were risk factors associated with NG infection. Aged 24 years or below, unmarried, having a high school\/secondary technical school education, and having junior high school or below education were risk factors associated with CT infection.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>Conclusion<\/jats:title>The cluster of symptoms integrated into risk assessment for CT and NG infections suggests a new strategy of symptomatic management. Healthcare providers in STI clinics and resource-limited places may use this strategy to identify more potential patients and deliver adequate, acceptable, and equitable STI care for outpatients with a high risk of STI.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2022.1005481","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,17]],"date-time":"2022-11-17T09:15:30Z","timestamp":1668676530000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Cluster analysis for symptomatic management of Neisseria gonorrhoea and Chlamydia trachomatis in sexually transmitted infections related clinics in China"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Ning","family":"Ning","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rongxing","family":"Weng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chunlai","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lizhang","family":"Wen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Honglin","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jianbin","family":"Ye","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jing","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiangsheng","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yumao","family":"Cai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"548","DOI":"10.2471\/BLT.18.228486","article-title":"Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis and syphilis: global prevalence and incidence estimates, 2016","volume":"97","author":"Rowley","year":"2019","journal-title":"Bull World Health Organ."},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"390","DOI":"10.15698\/mic2016.09.525","article-title":"Chlamydia trachomatis Genital Infections","volume":"3","author":"O'Connell","year":"2016","journal-title":"Microb Cell."},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"147","DOI":"10.4103\/0970-258X.278691","article-title":"Syndromic management of sexually transmitted infections: A critical appraisal and the road ahead","volume":"32","author":"Gupta","year":"2019","journal-title":"Natl Med J India."},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1071\/SH17070","article-title":"Syndromic management of sexually transmissible infections in resource-poor settings: a systematic review with meta-analysis of the abnormal vaginal discharge flowchart for Neisseria gonorrhoea and Chlamydia trachomatis","volume":"15","author":"Van Gemert","year":"2018","journal-title":"Sex Health."},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"327","DOI":"10.1097\/00007435-200304000-00010","article-title":"Is syndromic management better than the current approach for treatment of STDs in China? 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