Chlamydia common among young women and men

Mon Jul 16, 2007

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A large number of people between the ages of 14 and 39 years have chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease, a new report indicates, while gonorrhea, another STD, is less prevalent.

Based on 6,632 people ages 14 to 39 tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea between 1999 and 2002, researchers estimate that 2.2 percent of Americans in this age range -- a little more than 2 out of every 100 -- have Chlamydia infection and that 0.24 percent -- fewer than 1 out of every 400 - have gonorrhea infection.

Sexually active adolescents, especially girls, bear the brunt of chlamydia and gonorrhea infection, according to Dr. S. Deblina Datta and colleagues from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta. Almost half of those found to have gonorrhea also had chlamydia.

Young women, who are targeted for chlamydia screening and are at risk for long-term effects of the infection, had an "unacceptably high burden" of chlamydia infection, Datta and colleagues report in the Annals of Internal Medicine, released today

The data also show roughly equal prevalence of chlamydia and gonorrhea between males and females and disproportionately high rates among non-Hispanic black persons.

Both chlamydia and gonorrhea infection can cause symptoms such as discharge from the vagina or penis, pain with urination, abdominal pain, or no symptoms at all. In women, chlamydia and gonorrhea can lead to infertility. These STDs can also lead to premature birth, low birth weight and serious infections in newborns.

Antibiotic treatment is needed to clear up these STDs, avoid spreading them to partners, and ward off complications.

The current findings, the CDC team concludes, "support current recommendations" to screen sexually active girls and young women age 25 years or younger for chlamydia, to retest those with chlamydia, and to co-treat individuals with gonorrhea for chlamydia.

"Despite the considerable prevalence of chlamydia in males, the value of screening males needs to be better defined," they note.

SOURCE: Annals of Internal Medicine, July 17, 2007.

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