Prevalence of Chlamydial and Gonococcal Infections Among Young Adults in the United States
- William C. Miller, MD, PhD, MPH;
- Carol A. Ford, MD;
- Martina Morris, PhD;
- Mark S. Handcock, PhD;
- John L. Schmitz, PhD;
- Marcia M. Hobbs, PhD;
- Myron S. Cohen, MD;
- Kathleen Mullan Harris, PhD;
- J. Richard Udry, PhD
- Author Affiliations: Departments of Medicine (Drs Miller, Ford, Hobbs, and Cohen), Pediatrics (Dr Ford), Microbiology and Immunology (Drs Hobbs and Cohen), and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Dr Schmitz), School of Medicine; Departments of Epidemiology (Dr Miller) and Maternal and Child Health (Dr Udry), School of Public Health; Department of Sociology (Drs Harris and Udry); and the Carolina Population Center (Drs Harris and Udry), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill; and Departments of Sociology and Statistics (Drs Morris and Handcock), University of Washington, Seattle.
Abstract
Context Chlamydial and gonococcal infections are important causes of pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility. Although screening for Chlamydia trachomatis is widely recommended among young adult women, little information is available regarding the prevalence of chlamydial and gonococcal infections in the general young adult population.
Objective To determine the prevalence of chlamydial and gonoccoccal infections in a nationally representative sample of young adults living in the United States.
Design, Setting, and Participants Cross-sectional analyses of a prospective cohort study of a nationally representative sample of 14 322 young adults aged 18 to 26 years. In-home interviews were conducted across the United States for Wave III of The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) from April 2, 2001, to May 9, 2002. This study sample represented 66.3% of the original 18 924 participants in Wave I of Add Health. First-void urine specimens using ligase chain reaction assay were available for 12 548 (87.6%) of the Wave III participants.
Main Outcome Measures Prevalences of chlamydial and gonococcal infections in the general young adult population, and by age, self-reported race/ethnicity, and geographic region of current residence.
Results Overall prevalence of chlamydial infection was 4.19% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.48%-4.90%). Women (4.74%; 95% CI, 3.93%-5.71%) were more likely to be infected than men (3.67%; 95% CI, 2.93%-4.58%; prevalence ratio, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.03-1.63). The prevalence of chlamydial infection was highest among black women (13.95%; 95% CI, 11.25%-17.18%) and black men (11.12%; 95% CI, 8.51%-14.42%); lowest prevalences were among Asian men (1.14%; 95% CI, 0.40%-3.21%), white men (1.38%; 95% CI, 0.93%-2.03%), and white women (2.52%; 95% CI, 1.90%-3.34%). Prevalence of chlamydial infection was highest in the south (5.39%; 95% CI, 4.24%-6.83%) and lowest in the northeast (2.39%; 95% CI, 1.56%-3.65%). Overall prevalence of gonorrhea was 0.43% (95% CI, 0.29%-0.63%). Among black men and women, the prevalence was 2.13% (95% CI, 1.46%-3.10%) and among white young adults, 0.10% (95% CI, 0.03%-0.27%). Prevalence of coinfection with both chlamydial and gonococcal infections was 0.030% (95% CI, 0.18%-0.49%).
Conclusions The prevalence of chlamydial infection is high among young adults in the United States. Substantial racial/ethnic disparities are present in the prevalence of both chlamydial and gonococcal infections.
