Prevalence of isolated urethral asymptomatic Chlamydia trachomatis infection in the absence of cervical infection in incarcerated adolescent girls.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Adolescent girls may have isolated asymptomatic urethral Chlamydia trachomatis infection.

GOAL OF THIS STUDY

To determine if a single direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) slide can detect as many urethral and cervical infections as the use of separate slides and to determine if isolated urethral infection occurs.

STUDY DESIGN

During pelvic examinations upon admission, DFA slides were prepared from the cervix, from the urethra, and with cells from both sites.

RESULTS

Of 125 girls, 17 had C. trachomatis infection: 4 in the urethra only (24%), 5 in the cervical sample only (31%), 5 in both sites (31%), 3 had positive results only on the combined slide, and 1 had a positive result on the cervical slide and an inadequate urethral slide.

CONCLUSION

Isolated urethral C. trachomatis infection occurs frequently, and sampling both sites as opposed to sampling the cervix alone increases the number of cases found by 24% (P < 0.002). Using a single slide to detect infection in both sites detects as many infections as using two separate slides.