Microbiology, chlamydia or gonorrhea incidence, and self-diagnosis accuracy in sexually active college women with lower urinary tract symptoms.

Objective

Define microbiological characteristics of pathogens causing lower urinary tract infections (LUTI), frequency of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) or Neisseria gonorrhea (GC), and accuracy of self-diagnosis by college women with LUTI symptoms.

Participants

Sexually active women with LUTI symptoms attending a large south-eastern university.

Methods

Participants completed a 15-question Qualtrics™ survey, provided urine for urinalysis and culture and a self-collected vaginal swab for CT/GC testing.

Results

Escherichia coli grew in 72.3% of cultures. Cultures showed 49.1% growing ≥105 and 46.1% between 104 and 105 colony forming units/mL (CFU/mL). Most pathogens (94.6%) were sensitive to nitrofurantoin. Three participants were positive for CT and the LUTI self-diagnosis accuracy was 72.0%.

Conclusions

Escherichia coli was the primary uropathogen. Cultures with ≥104 CFU/mL identified 95.2% of LUTIs, and nitrofurantoin is the empiric drug of choice. CT is rarely identified in this population and college women are accurate making a self-diagnosis of LUTI.