Chlamydia trachomatis-induced urethritis in female partners of men with nongonococcal urethritis

The rate of isolation of Chlamydia trachomatis from cervical and urethral specimens from 99 culture-positive female partners of men with nongonococcal urethritis who were attending a gynecological outpatient clinic was correlated with the clinical status of the women. The agent was recovered from both sites in 46 women, from the cervix only in 28, and from the urethra only in 25 women. Urethral symptoms were reported by 38 (54%) of those with positive urethral cultures, as compared with six (21%) of those with positive cervical cultures only (P less than 0.01). Significant bacteriuria was found in only three patients with urethral symptoms; two of them had negative urethral cultures for C. trachomatis. Frequencies of cervicitis, rises in titer of antibody, and geometric mean titers of immunofluorescent antibody to C. trachomatis did not differ significantly among the three groups.