Chlamydia trachomatis infection in sexually active adolescents and young women.

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infections among Polish teenagers is unknown. Sexually active adolescents are at a greater risk for sexually transmitted infections, including Chlamydia trachomatis (ChT). Most inflections are asymptomatic and therefore untreated. Early detection and treatment of cervical chlamydial infections can prevent pelvic inflammatory disease and has a strong protective effect against infertility.

AIM: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of Chlamydia trachomatis infections among sexually active female adolescents attending the outpatient gynaecological clinic of the Institute of Mother and Child in Warsaw.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

249 sexually active girls, 16-19 years old, attending the outpatient clinic of the Institute of Mother and Child in Warsaw were enrolled in this study from December 2002 to May 2004, The participants filled out a questionnaire containing informations on age, purpose of the visit, level of education, age of the first intercourse, number of lifetime sexual partners, number of current partners (in the last 3 months), number of sexual partners in the past (patients' partner), contraceptive methods, use of condoms at the first and the last intercourse, past history of STD and obstetric history at first visit. Pelvic examination was done for the following reasons: checking vaginal discharge, presence of abnormalities of the cervix such as ectopy, erythroplakia and uterine tenderness and taking a Pap smear and a cervical swab for Chlamydia trachomatis detection. Cervical swabs for Chlamydia trachomatis were tested by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

RESULTS

The prevalence of ChT genital infection in the studied group was 3.2%. Adolescent females infected by ChT less frequently reported the use of condom and more often did not use any contraception in comparison with the girls without ChT genital infections (42.8% and 42.8% vs. 49% and 12.8%), The existence of other STDs was more frequently noted in adolescents with Chlamydial infection in comparison to healthy girls (14.2% vs. 8.3%). There were no statistically significant differences in results of the Pap smears and the incidence of cervical ectopy between the two groups.