ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Chlamydia and gonorrhea coinfection outside of healthcare facilities is less well known. GOAL: To determine the co-occurrence of both sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among high school students participating in a school-based screening and to assess the relevance of dual treatment recommendations in this population. STUDY DESIGN: During the 1998 to 1999 school year, 5,877 students attending an urban U.S. school district were screened for chlamydia and gonorrhea using urine ligase chain reaction assays. RESULTS: Overall, 451 students had chlamydia, 117 had gonorrhea, including 50 who had both STDs. The gonorrhea and chlamydia co-infections were 50/451 (11.1%) and 50/117 (42.7%), respectively. STD symptoms were reported by 16.0% of students having both infections, 7.7% of those having gonorrhea only, and 5.0% of students having chlamydia only (P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The rates of coinfection in this population exceeded those that justify dual treatment in patient-care settings. Chlamydia and gonorrhea co-occurrence may be highly prevalent among certain populations not attending patient-care settings.
Subject(s)
Chlamydia Infections/epidemiology , Chlamydia Infections/prevention & control , Gonorrhea/epidemiology , Gonorrhea/prevention & control , Adolescent , Adolescent Health Services , Adult , Age Distribution , Child , Chlamydia Infections/complications , Chlamydia trachomatis , Female , Gonorrhea/complications , Humans , Louisiana/epidemiology , Male , Prevalence , Sex Distribution , Students/statistics & numerical data , Urban HealthABSTRACT
In an urban school district, 636 students in grades 9-12 were tested for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae by ligase chain reaction assays using specimens collected for routine urinalyses during sports physical examinations. Chlamydia and gonorrhea prevalences were 2.8% and 0.7% among males, and 6.5% and 2.0% among females, respectively. Among athletes infected with either sexually transmitted disease (STD), 93.1% reported no symptoms, and treatment was documented for 75.9%. Sports physicals offered a unique opportunity to screen and treat adolescents for STDs and to provide STD-prevention counseling.
