Oropharyngeal gonorrhea during pregnancy

The frequency of oropharyngeal infections with Neisseria gonorrhoeae in pregnant women was studied in two prenatal clinics in Bandkok, Thailand. A third group of women visiting a dental clinic on a routine basis was included for comparison purposes. Group I, from an American dependent clinic, had an oropharyngeal infection rate of 15% while only 0.7% had cervical infections. None had infections in more than one site. In Group III, from a Thai clinic, no patients had oropharyngeal infections while 11.9% had infections from either the cervix or rectum or both. One and eight-tenths percent of the patients attending the dental clinic had oropharyngeal infections. Oropharyngeal gonorrhea was found in a prenatal population of American military dependents at a high rate. We propose that all women visiting a prenatal clinic routinely have their oropharynx cultured for N gonorrhoeae.