Gonorrhea Diagnostic Market Size, Share, and Industry Analysis, By Product Type (Instruments and Reagents & Kits), By Technology (Microbiology, Immunoassay, Molecular Diagnostics, and Others), By Test Type (Laboratory and Point-of-Care), By End-user (Hospitals & Clinics, Diagnostic Laboratories, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2024-2032

Gonorrhea is the most common type of sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, primarily transmitted through oral, vaginal, and anal sex. The common symptoms associated with gonorrhea infections are pain and burning sensation while urinating, irregular vaginal and penile discharge, pain during intercourse, and others. The complications allied with the infections are infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ectopic pregnancy in females and urethral stricture, scrotal swelling, and infertility in males. This infection is preventable and curable with the use of antibiotics, but antimicrobial resistance is a severe and growing issue that is difficult to treat.

Moreover, the rising prevalence of gonorrhea cases and the heightened awareness of sexually transmitted infections increased the demand for early diagnosis and treatment of the infection. This increases the demand for gonorrhea diagnostic instruments and reagents and thus propels the growth of the gonorrhea diagnostics market.

• For instance, according to the data published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in July 2023, an estimated 82.4 million new infection cases were registered in 2020 among adult individuals globally.

Furthermore, the diagnostics test for gonorrhea includes culture tests, molecular diagnostics, such as the polymerase chain reaction, and point-of-care rapid antigen tests. The increasing focus of the government on the awareness related to the testing of sexually transmitted diseases and sexual health among adults is increasing the demand for gonorrhea diagnostics and thus expanding the market adoption during the forecast period.

• For instance, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) started an STI Awareness Week program every year in the second week of April. The program includes three campaigns: Talk. Test. Treat., Prepare Before You're There, and Get Yourself Tested. This campaign encourages individuals to talk about their health and protect themselves from the disease by testing and treating themselves for sexually transmitted diseases (STIs). Such campaigns encourage individuals to test themselves to avoid the risks associated with the diseases, thus propelling the market's growth.

Moreover, the increasing research and development activities to launch novel products for rapid and accurate detection of gonorrhea are expected to propel the market growth during 2024-2032.

• For instance, in November 2023, the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) announced the clearance of LetsGetChecked’s  Simple 2 Test system for the detection of chlamydia and gonorrhea at home through the samples collected from vaginal swabs and urine specimens. Thus, increasing research and development and launches of technologically advanced gonorrhea point-of-care diagnostic products propels the market's growth.

The gonorrhea diagnostic market was negatively impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The negative impact on the market was due to the limited access to healthcare services and prolonged physical distancing measures that restricted the patients from visiting healthcare facilities for the diagnosis of STDs. Also, the increased focus on COVID-19 tests and disruptions in the supply chains hampered gonorrhea diagnostics during the pandemic period. However, the market stabilized with the ease of COVID-19 regulations, and patient visits increased for testing sexually transmitted infections post-pandemic. Moreover, the rising government awareness programs and launches of rapid diagnostics tests are expected to propel the market's growth during the forecast period.

Segmentation

Key Insights

The report covers the following key insights:

• Prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, By Key Countries/Regions, 2023


• Technological Developments in the Gonorrhoeae Diagnostics


• New Product Launches, By Key Players


• Key Industry Developments - Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships


• Impact of COVID-19 on the Market

Analysis by Product Type

Based on product type, the gonorrhea diagnostic market is segmented into instruments and reagents & kits.

The reagents & kits segment held the dominant share of the global gonorrhea diagnostic market in 2023. The reagents & kits are fundamental products for laboratories, clinics, and healthcare facilities to accurately diagnose and screen gonorrhea infections, making them a vital component of the market’s product offerings. Also, the kits are highly sensitive and specific, making the detection of the infection more reliable and reducing the risk of procedural errors.

Furthermore, increasing launches of kits for gonorrhea diagnostics by key players propel the segment's growth during the forecast period.

• For instance, in October 2023, Switch Health launched an at-home STI test kit in Canada. It is a single test panel kit for screening of Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Trichomonas through a urine collection process. Such launches promote convenient and confidential screening for STIs such as gonorrhea, leading to the growth of the segment in the market.

Moreover, the increasing number of cases of gonorrhea infections and the rising awareness among youngsters and adults for early diagnosis and treatment of the disease for proper cure expands the growth of the gonorrhea diagnostic market.

Regional Analysis

The global market is geographically segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. North America held the dominant position in the gonorrhea diagnostic market in 2023. The increasing prevalence of gonorrhea in the region and rising initiatives by the government to make the people of the region aware of early diagnosis of the sexually transmitted disease. Thus propelling the growth of the gonorrhea diagnostics market in the region.

• For instance, according to CDC Sexually Transmitted Infections Surveillance, 2022, the total number of cases of gonorrhea in the U.S. was reported to be 648,056. Such a large number of cases in the region increases the growth of the gonorrhea diagnostic market.

Moreover, the launch of different programs by crucial players decreases the overall cost of the test and provides rapid and accurate results.

• For instance, in November 2022, Binx Health launched the instrument placement program for CLIA-waived point-of-care instrument facilities. The program aimed to eliminate upfront instrument costs and deliver critical Chlamydia and Gonorrhea results in about 30 minutes compared to centralized laboratories. Such advancements and launches of programs promote the growth of the gonorrhea diagnostics market in the region.

Furthermore, the region has advanced healthcare facilities and well-established research institutes, as well as the presence of key players in the market with advanced product offerings that boost the region's growth.

On the other hand, Europe has gained a considerable share due to increasing research and development activities for advancing diagnostic procedures across key countries. Moreover, the significant initiatives by companies to advance screening of sexually transmitted infections, including gonorrhea, thus propel the gonorrhea diagnostic market growth.

• In November 2023, Daye, a British gynecological health startup company, launched an STI diagnostic tampon that can be used for PCR tests for the detection of chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomonas, mycoplasma and ureaplasma, where tampons are used in the place of the swab. This screening process aimed to encourage women to at-home testing and speed up diagnosis and treatment for such infections. Such developments are expected to propel the regional growth.

Key Players Covered

The report includes the profiles of key players, such as F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Abbott, BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), Hologic, Inc., Cepheid (Danaher), Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Seegene Inc., ZeptoMetrix, LLC, bioMérieux SA, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., and Biomed Diagnostics.

Key Industry Developments

• In February 2024, Visby Medical received an award worth USD 1.8 million from the Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) for the innovation and development of portable rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic for the detection of gonorrhea pathogens and its susceptibility to ciprofloxacin.


• In February 2023, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. launched TrueMark STI Select Panel, a polymerase chain reaction panel used for research purposes only. The select panel is used to detect Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium, and Trichomonas vaginalis in one test.


• In May 2022, Abbott’s Alinity m STI Assay received U.S. Food and Drugs Administration clearance. The assay simultaneously detects and differentiates four common sexually transmitted infections (STIs), namely Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Trichomonas vaginalis (TV), and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) from one sample.