Genital chlamydial disease in an urban, primarily Hispanic, family planning clinic.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Although chlamydia is a well-studied disease, little is known about the rates of genital chlamydial disease among female Hispanics in urban family planning clinics.

GOALS

To determine the prevalence of women with chlamydia in two clinic populations during 1994. We also sought to describe previously identified and novel risk factors for chlamydial disease in this unique population.

STUDY DESIGN

We conducted a retrospective case-control analysis in two community clinics in the Washington Heights section of New York City.

RESULTS

In 1994, 4,190 screening tests were done for Chlamydia trachomatis in these clinics, and the prevalence of positive tests was 5.4% (227/4,190). The mean age of the women screened was 19.2 years and most were of Hispanic origin (76%), students (51%), and received Medicaid (61%). Risk factors found to be associated with C. trachomatis infection included young age; earlier age at first coitus; pregnancy at the time of chlamydia screening; concurrent gonorrheal infection; and the clinical findings of cervical abnormalities, vaginal discharge, and adnexal tenderness. Hormonal contraception appeared to be protective against chlamydial infection (odds ratio, 0.36%; confidence interval, 0.17-0.77).

CONCLUSION

Sexually transmitted diseases were common in our population because 5.4% of the women screened had chlamydial infection and 1.5% had concurrent gonorrheal infection. Our study confirmed risk factors established in other populations. These data support the need for enhanced screening efforts for chlamydia to decrease the prevalence of disease in our population.