The prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis in women with genitourinary symptoms.

Two studies were conducted to determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis in the urine and cervical exudates of women with genitourinary symptoms. In the first study, 873 women attending the World Health Organization-Sexually Transmitted Disease Center of the Alfred Fournier Institute, in Paris, were examined. In 7% of these women, culture results were positive for the presence of C trachomatis. Women with C trachomatis in the urethra had more polymorphonuclear cells in the urine than did those with C trachomatis in the cervix (P less than 0.001). The second study at the same center involved 180 women with vaginal or urethral signs and symptoms. Positive cultures for C trachomatis were found in 12% of the 140 women reporting vaginal problems and in 22% of the 40 women reporting urinary symptoms. Cell cultures from both the cervix and urethra were positive for C trachomatis in 1.4% of the women with vaginal signs and symptoms and in 2.5% of the women with urinary symptoms. These data support the value of urethral cultures for detecting C trachomatis in women with genitourinary symptoms.