Abstract
This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of chlamydial trachomatis (CT) infection and explore its risk factors among patients attending sexual and reproductive health clinics in Shenzhen, China. We collected demographic and clinical information from attendees (aged 18–49). CT and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) infection was determined by nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) on self-collected urine specimens. Of 1,938 participants recruited, 10.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 9.6%-11.0%) tested positive for CT. Prevalence was similar between men (10.6% [85/804]; 95% CI, 9.5%–11.7%) and women (10.1% [115/1134]; 95% CI: 9.2%–11.0%). Being 18–25 years old (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.52; 95%CI:1.35–4.71), never tested for CT before (aOR = 2.42; 95%CI: 1.05–5.61) and infected with NG(aOR = 3.87; 95%CI: 2.10–7.10) were independently associated with CT infection. We found that CT infection is prevalent among patients attending sexual and reproductive health clinics in Shenzhen, China. A comprehensive program including CT screening, surveillance and treatment is urgently needed.
Highlights
Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection is one of the most common bacterial infections in the world, with about 73.7 million new cases occurred globally in 2015 [1]
Our study showed that 10.6% of men and 10.3% of women attending sexual and reproductive health clinics were tested positive for CT infection, similar to that reported in England (10.3%10.6%) [38,40], Netherlands (8.9%-10.1%) [41], Nigeria (9.6%) [42], Danmark (11.5%) [43], Spain (12.3%) [44], Iran (12.6%) [45], and Mexico (14.2%) [46]
The prevalence of CT infection in the current study was higher than that reported in Australia (5.9%) [47] and lower than that reported in Ethiopia (18.9%) [48], Palestine (20.2%) [49] and Solomon Islands (20.3%) [50]
Summary
Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection is one of the most common bacterial infections in the world, with about 73.7 million new cases occurred globally in 2015 [1]. Infection may be asymptomatic in more than 80% of cases [2,3], 16% of cases may suffer from clinical pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which may result in future infertility or ectopic pregnancy [4]. A population-based study in Canada has found that compared to those who tested negative for CT infection, those tested positive have a 55% increased risk of PID [5]. Another study reported that an estimated 20% of PID, 5% of ectopic pregnancy and 29%-45% of tubal factor infertility were attributed to CT infection [6]. The risk of reproductive tract morbidity increases with repeated CT infection [5,7,8], which increases the risk of preterm delivery in pregnant women[9], as well as epididymo-orchitis and infertility in men [10,11].
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