The GONE study took a broad view in examining the role of saliva as a vehicle for gonorrhoea transmission in men who have sex with men.
We looked at different sexual practices such as kissing, oral sex, rimming and the use of saliva as a lubricant during anal sex. We surveyed MSM on the way they met casual partners and the different sexual activities they experienced with these partners. We surveyed MSM on their willingness to change their sexual practices with saliva.
We found that MSM who used smartphone dating applications were more likely to get rimmed, and more likely to use partner’s saliva as a lubricant during anal sex, compared to MSM who met their partners in gay bars. These practices are highly associated with the risk of gonorrhoea.
We ran a randomised controlled trial and an in vitro study to determine whether Listerine®, a commercial mouthwash product, has an inhibitory effect against Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and therefore may be a potentially useful agent for gonorrhoea control.
Men who were positive for gonorrhoea, and untreated, were randomised to rinse and gargle either Listerine® Cool Mint or saline for 1 min. Pharyngeal swabs were taken before and after rinsing and gargling for culture of N. gonorrhoeae. The analysis included only men who were culture positive for N. gonorrhoeae before using the allocated solution on the day of recruitment. After gargling the allocated solution, men in the Listerine® group were significantly less likely to be culture positive on the pharyngeal surface (52%) compared with men in the saline group.
These study results suggest Listerine® significantly reduces the amount of N. gonorrhoeae on the pharyngeal surface. With daily use it may increase gonococcal clearance and have important implications for prevention strategies.
Publications
Associations between oral sex practices and frequent mouthwash use in heterosexuals: a cross-sectional survey in Melbourne, Australia
Phillips TR, Fairley CK, Bradshaw CS, Tabesh M, Maddaford K, Hocking JS, Chow EPF
(2021), BMJ Open,
Risk factors for oropharyngeal gonorrhoea in men who have sex with men: an age-matched case–control study
Vincent J Cornelisse, Sandra Walker, Tiffany Phillips, Jane S Hocking, Catriona S Bradshaw, David A Lewis, Garrett Paul Prestage, Andrew E Grulich, Christopher K Fairley, Eric P F Chow
(2018), Sexually Transmitted Infections,
The frequency of kissing as part of sexual activity differs depending on how men meet their male casual sexual partners.
Cornelisse VJ, Priest D, Fairley CK, Walker S, Bradshaw CS, Phillips T, Chow EP
(2018), International Journal of STD & AIDS,
Antiseptic mouthwash against pharyngeal Neisseria gonorrhoeae: a randomised controlled trial and an in vitro study
Chow EPF, Howden BP, Walker S, Lee D, Bradshaw CS, Chen MY, Snow A, Cook S, Fehler G, Fairley CK
(2017), Sexually Transmitted Infections,
Fuckbuddy partnerships among men who have sex with men – a marker of sexually transmitted infection risk
Cornelisse VJ, Fairley CK, Phillips T, Chow EPF
(2017), International Journal of STD and AIDS,
Getting the terminology right in sexual health research: the importance of accurately classifying fuck buddies among men who have sex with men
Clare Bellhouse, Sandra Walker, Christopher K Fairley, Eric PF Chow, Jade E Bilardi
(2017), Sexually Transmitted Infections,
Saliva use in sex: associations with use of smartphone dating applications in men who have sex with men
Eric PF Chow, Vincent J Cornelisse, Tim RH Read, Marcus Y Chen, Catriona SBradshaw and Christopher K Fairley
(2017), International Journal of STD & AIDS,
Willingness to change behaviours to reduce the risk of pharyngeal gonorrhoea transmission and acquisition in men who have sex with men: a cross-sectional survey
Eric PF Chow, Sandra Walker, Tiffany Phillips, Christopher K Fairley
(2017), Sexually Transmitted Infections,
Pharyngeal Gonorrhoea: The Willingness of Australian Men Who Have Sex with Men to Change Current Sexual Practices to Reduce Their Risk of Transmission—A Qualitative Study
Walker S, Bellhouse C, Fairley CK, Bilardi JE, Chow EPF
(2016), PLOS ONE,
Risk practices in the era of smartphone apps for meeting partners: a cross-sectional study among men who have sex with men in Melbourne, Australia
Chow EPF, Cornelisse VJ, Read TRH, Hocking JS, Walker S, Chen MY, Bradshaw CS, Fairley CK
(2016), AIDS Patient Care and STDs,