Prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection in patients attending an antenatal clinic.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection was diagnosed by culture using a selective medium (Thayer-Martin) in 140 (11.7%) of 1 200 pregnant black women attending an antenatal clinic in 1981. The study confirmed the need for specimens from three sites (endocervix, urethra and rectum)--endocervical cultures were positive in only 75.9% of infected women, in the remainder only the urethral and/or rectal cultures were positive. Rectal cultures were positive in 41.6%. Cultures of throat swabs from 200 women were all negative for N. gonorrhoeae. In comparison with endocervical specimens directly plated, high vaginal swab specimens placed in Stuart's transport medium before plating gave a lower yield of positive cultures. No penicillinase-producing N. gonorrhoeae strains were detected.