Treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis infections of the female lower genital tract.

Chlamydia trachomatis infections of the female lower genital tract may cause cervicitis, a condition which, even when asymptomatic, as it often is, can have serious consequences in both the short and the long term. Treatment, therefore, should be instituted as soon as such infections are diagnosed. Tetracyclines are the therapy of choice, with erythromycin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole as therapeutic alternatives. The duration of treatment should be for not less than 8 to 10 days. Concomitant infections with C. trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae require special therapeutic considerations. As with any other sexually transmitted infection, management of chlamydial infections demands simultaneous partner treatment. Screening by culture is proposed for high-risk groups, such as women applying for legal abortion and those undergoing implantation of an intrauterine contraceptive device.