Chlamydia trachomatis in subfertile women undergoing uterine instrumentation. The clinician's role

Most women attending a fertility clinic will undergo uterine instrumentation either diagnostically and/or therapeutically. This places them at potential risk of chlamydial pelvic inflammatory disease. Clinicians remain unclear about the roles of screening, serology and prophylactic antibiotics. A review of the evidence suggests that women <25 years and those older with risk factors, men with risk factors and gamete donors should have their lower genital tract screened for Chlamydia trachomatis by a sensitive test. More information is required before screening men by age can be recommended. Serology in its present form cannot be advocated as a screening tool. Those women with a past history of chlamydial morbidity or a diagnosis of tubal pathology should, in addition to screening, be covered with prophylactic antibiotics when undergoing uterine instrumentation. The partner should be screened for sexually transmitted infections. Non-selective use of prophylactic antibiotics serves only to increase the problem of antibiotic resistance and maintain the bacterial load of chlamydia in the community.