Observations on the microbiology of urethritis in black South African men

The occurrence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium was determined by molecular techniques in urine specimens from 182 black South African men who had symptoms and/or overt signs of urethritis. Eighty-six (47.3%) of these men were infected with N. gonorrhoeae. There were 185 men without overt evidence of urethritis, 16 (8.6%) of whom were also infected with N. gonorrhoeae. Of the 96 men who had non-gonococcal urethritis, 14 (14.6%) were infected with C. trachomatis, 16 (16.7%) with M. genitalium and only one with both microorganisms. In comparison, 15 (8.9%) of 169 men without overt urethritis and without N. gonorrhoeae were infected with C. trachomatis and 15 (8.9%) with M. genitalium, proportions that were about half the size of those in the group with overt urethritis.