Abstract
C.t is an important cause of sexually transmitted disease (STD) in adults and has been implicated as a cause of salpingitis and perihepatitis. As limited data are available regarding C.t in adolescents, 75 sexually active female teenagers were studied to determine the prevalence of C.t and other STD's including trichomonas, gonorrhea, herpes simplex (HS), syphilis, as well as cytomegalovirus (CMV). Relevant data were obtained on study patients to determine clinical patterns of C.t infection in this age population and possible relationships with other STD's. Cervical and/or urethral cultures from 17 subjects (23%) were positive for C.t; other pathogens identified were trichomonas (13%), CMV (12%), N. gonorrheae (11%) and HS (3%). 16% were infected with 2 or more agents. Tabular analyses revealed no relationship between C.t infection and the following variables: age, contraceptive method, number of recent sexual partners, parity, catamenia, history of STD, another simultaneously diagnosed STD and presence of CMV or HS-2 antibodies. 7 C.t(+) subjects were asymptomatic and abnormal physical findings in 10 occurred in association with other common STD's. C.t antibody Was not detectable in all C.t(+) subjects. These data demonstrate C.t is a common STD in adolescence which cannot be diagnosed on the basis of symptoms or physical exam. As C.t is a STD with potentially serious sequelae, screening by appropriate culture should be considered in sexually active female teenagers.
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Anglin, T., Brown, R., Kumar, M. et al. 1 CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS (C.t) IN ADOLESCENT FEMALES. Pediatr Res 15 (Suppl 4), 440 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-00010
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-00010