Noting that chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections are common among adolescents attending middle and high schools, the authors of the current study sought to assess the reinfection rates of CT for females attending school-based health centers.
Adolescents who attended school-based health centers and reported they were sexually active were screened for CT using nucleic acid amplification tests on cervical or urine samples. From 1996 to 2003, 10,609 females were tested. In a calendar year, the overall prevalence ranged from 15.1 percent to 19.5 percent. Reinfection was defined as a positive test result occurring between 30 and 365 days after initial positive result.
A total of 897 female students who tested positive for CT returned for at least one subsequent test 30-365 days later. Of these, 236 had one or more subsequent positive tests for a one-year cumulative incidence of reinfection of 26.3 percent (95 percent confidence interval=23.4-29.2 percent. Young age at first CT infection was significantly associated with increased risk of subsequent infection (P<0.01). Across sites, cumulative incidence of reinfection in study participants ranged from 14.3 percent to 38.9 percent.
The chlamydia cumulative incidence of reinfection in this population was high and supports CDC's recommendation that adolescents be screened frequently for CT, especially those with a history of a previous infection, the authors concluded.
03/15/08
Chlamydia Trachomatis Reinfection Rates Among Female Adolescents Seeking Rescreening
Source: Sexually Transmitted Diseases Vol. 35; No. 3: P. 233-237(03..08):: Charlotte A. Gaydos, DrPH; Catherine Wright, MPH; Billie Jo Wood, MS; Gerry Waterfield, MS, CPNP; Sharon Hobson, MS, CPNP; Thomas C. Quinn, MD; Courtesy of the CDC National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention