Oropharyngeal Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections: should women be routinely tested?

Oropharyngeal infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae is important: it is harder to treat than anogenital infection and the oropharynx provides a niche for the development of antimicrobial resistance. Additionally, since oropharyngeal N gonorrhoeae infections are usually asymptomatic, they can easily remain undetected, providing a reservoir of infection that facilitates onward transmission. Emerging evidence suggests that in addition to oral sex, oropharyngeal infection might be transmitted through kissing.