Estimates of Chlamydia trachomatis infections among men: United States

To describe the epidemiology of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infections among men in the United States.

Data from the notifiable disease case surveillance system, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (AddHealth), the National Job Training Program, the Men Having Sex with Men (MSM) Prevalence Monitoring Project, and adult and juvenile corrections facilities were used to summarize national chlamydia case and prevalence rates. Data were stratified by age and race/ethnicity.

In 2005, 232,781 chlamydia cases among men were reported, corresponding to a rate of 161.1 cases per 100,000 men, an increase of 43.5% compared with the case rate in 2001 (112.3). Population-based chlamydia prevalence rates from NHANES (1999-2002) were highest among men aged 20 to 29 years (3.2%); men aged 18 to 26 years participating in AddHealth (2001-2002) had a 3.7% prevalence rate. Rates were highest among black men in both NHANES (5.3%) and AddHealth (11.1%). The prevalence rate among men (aged 16-24 years) participating in the National Job Training Program was 8.1%. Among MSM, the 2005 median urethral chlamydia prevalence rate was 6%. Overall, chlamydia rates were highest in adult corrections facilities; the 2005 positivity rate among men aged 21 to 25 years was 7.8%. In juvenile corrections facilities, the 2005 positivity rate among men aged 15 to 17 years was 6.7%.

Rates of genital C. trachomatis infections among men are persistently high, particularly among men entering the National Job Training Program and men in corrections facilities. The burden of disease is generally highest among young men and black men.