![[ Visit Client Website ]](images/banner.gif)
Background: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Chlamydia trachomatis(Ct) is the most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI). It is usually asymptomatic and it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility in women with untreated Ct infection. Although chlamydia screening programs undertaken in a range of countries since 2005, and Ct test by hybrid capture is available by Brazilian Health System, there is no screening program or a simple screening strategy for sexually active youngers women in Brazil. The present abstract aims to estimate the prevalence of Ct infection in female users of primary health service without STI symptoms in Manaus.
Methods: A based screening program was simulated in 22 health clinics of primary public health service in women aged 14-25 years, from an urban area of Manaus in the Amazonas state. After women were given informed consent, they were interviewed about demographic and sexual behavior characteristics. A pelvic examination was performed using Papanicolau test and endocervical swabs specimens were collected for use in the Ct test by health workers. Testing for Ct was carried out by hybrid capture/DIGENE (HC2 CT-ID DNA Test, Version 2.0, Qiagen) at Fundação Alfredo da Matta.
Results: From October 2012 to October 2013, 1196 women were tested for current Ct infection. The prevalence of Ct infection was 12.4% (145/1165).
Conclusions: The results presented here are preliminary but until the moment the prevalence of Ct infection was superior to those found in the same area in 2005 which the prevalence for pregnant women (asymptomatic control group) and women with sexually transmitted disease (STD) were 11.9% and 10%, respectively. Active detection of infection and early treatment are crucial strategies to detect people with an asymptomatic infection and to reduce the transmission, the sequels in terms of reproductive morbidity and the cost for tertiary care service.