Sex-associated diarrhoea

Overview

  • Most infectious causes of diarrhoea can be transmitted sexually
  • Transmission is most likely to occur during oroanal sex, but diarrhoea-causing organisms that use fomite transmission will likely also transmit during other types of sex

Hence for people with casual sexual partners, it may be important to consider broader differential diagnoses for infectious diarrhoea, in addition to the viral causes of diarrhoea that commonly circulate in the general community. This consideration applies particularly to men who have sex with men and their sexual partners, where outbreaks have occurred.