biostudies-literatureUnknown23(1)Marcus URobert Koch-Institut<h4>Background</h4>Men who have sex with men (MSM) are in general more vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) than the heterosexual men population. However, surveillance data on STI diagnoses lack comparability across countries due to differential identification of MSM, diagnostic standards and methods, and screening guidelines for asymptomatic infections.<h4>Methods</h4>We compared self-reported overall diagnostic rates for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia infections, and diagnostic rates for infections that were classified to be symptomatic in the previous 12 months from two online surveys. They had a shared methodology, were conducted in 68 countries across four continents between October 2017 and May 2018 and had 202,013 participants.<h4>Results</h4>Using multivariable BMC public health1008https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10228115biostudies-literatureComparison of the burden of self-reported bacterial sexually transmitted infections among men having sex with men across 68 countries on four continents.PMC10228115Marcus UCasabona JVeras MLachowsky NSchink SBSchmidt AJCaceres CFfalseComparison of the burden of self-reported bacterial sexually transmitted infections among men having sex with men across 68 countries on four continents.<h4>Background</h4>Men who have sex with men (MSM) are in general more vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) than the heterosexual men population. However, surveillance data on STI diagnoses lack comparability across countries due to differential identification of MSM, diagnostic standards and methods, and screening guidelines for asymptomatic infections.<h4>Methods</h4>We compared self-reported overall diagnostic rates for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia infections, and diagnostic rates for infections that were classified to be symptomatic in the previous 12 months from two online surveys. They had a shared methodology, were conducted in 68 countries across four continents between October 2017 and May 2018 and had 202,013 participants.<h4>Results</h4>Using multivariable 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 May2026-04-17T17:20:48.895Z2026-04-07T14:24:34.913ZS-EPMC102281153725409610.1186/s12889-023-15946-8