Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis using consecutive endocervical swabs. Prevalence in asymptomatic female adolescents and women attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic.

Chlamydia trachomatis is an organism commonly transmitted through sexual intercourse. In women it is associated with cervicitis, salpingitis, perihepatitis and infertility. Neonates born to infected women may have inclusion conjunctivitis and pneumonia due to this organism. Screening in obstetrics and in gynecology clinics is not usually performed routinely because of the cost and time involved in culturing the organism. A rapid enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kit (Chlamydiazyme, Abbott Laboratories) that can detect C. trachomatis was developed recently. Women belonging to two different cohorts were studied to determine whether multiple endocervical samples increased the likelihood of a positive result from this EIA kit. One cohort consisted of 70 asymptomatic, sexually active female adolescents from a local family planning clinic. The second cohort included 80 women who were seen at a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic. Both groups were assayed for Chlamydia infections using the rapid EIA kit. Positive test results were found in 7 of the 70 asymptomatic teenagers (10%) and 12 of the 80 women from the STD clinic (15%). No significant differences were noted in the order of the positive swabs in either group, although more of the earlier swabs tended to be positive.