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Chlamydia and gonorrhea co-occurrence in a high school population
Malanda Nsuami1, Catherine L Cammarata, Bridget N Brooks
1Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. mnsuam@lsuhsc.edu
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
|June 25, 2004
Summary
Coinfection of chlamydia and gonorrhea was common in urban high school students, with nearly half of gonorrhea cases also having chlamydia. These high rates suggest dual treatment may be warranted in similar populations.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Chlamydia and gonorrhea coinfection prevalence outside clinical settings is not well-established.
- Understanding coinfection rates in non-clinical settings is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the co-occurrence of chlamydia and gonorrhea among high school students via school-based screening.
- To assess the applicability of dual treatment guidelines for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in this demographic.
Main Methods:
- A large-scale screening of 5,877 students in an urban U.S. school district was conducted during the 1998-1999 academic year.
- Chlamydia and gonorrhea detection utilized urine-based ligase chain reaction (LCR) assays.
Main Results:
- Of the students screened, 451 tested positive for chlamydia and 117 for gonorrhea.
- A significant coinfection rate was observed, with 50 students infected with both STDs.
- Coinfection rates were 11.1% for gonorrhea among chlamydia-positive students and 42.7% for chlamydia among gonorrhea-positive students. Symptom reporting varied significantly by infection status (P = 0.01).
Conclusions:
- The observed coinfection rates among high school students surpass thresholds typically justifying dual STD treatment in healthcare settings.
- Chlamydia and gonorrhea co-occurrence may be highly prevalent in populations seeking healthcare outside traditional patient-care facilities.