Genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection in Australia

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Genital chlamydial infection is a significant sexually transmitted infection with potentially serious sequelae in women.
• Accurate data on infection rates and trends are essential for effective public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review available data on genital chlamydial infections in Australia from 1980-1990.
• To identify trends in chlamydial infection diagnosis and prevalence.
• To recommend improvements for future data collection on chlamydial infections.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from representative Australian laboratories (1980-1990).
• Review of Australian and international prevalence studies with available epidemiological data.
• Examination of reported cases to the Communicable Diseases Intelligence (CDI) scheme.

Main Results:

• Overall chlamydial infection rates declined from 3.2%-14.6% (1980-1982) to 2.7%-5.5% (1990).
• Increased testing observed, possibly due to screening asymptomatic women, but detailed population data were lacking.
• Highest prevalence in Australian sexually transmitted disease clinics (2.5%-14%) and family planning clinics (>5%).

Conclusions:

• Genital chlamydial infection diagnosis appears stable or declining in Australia, potentially due to interventions.
• Data interpretation is hindered by changing screening practices, lack of standard definitions, and under-reporting.
• Recommendations include establishing sentinel sites and standardizing data collection and case definitions.