Incidence of recurrent diagnoses of Chlamydia trachomatis genital infections among male and female soldiers of the US army

Scott D Barnett¹ and John F Brundage^1,2

¹ Army Medical Surveillance Activity, Directorate of Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance, US Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, USA
² Henry M Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Rockville, MD, USA

Correspondence to:
Scott D Barnett, PhD, Army Medical Surveillance Activity, Bldg T-20, Room 213, 6825 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20307-5000, USA Scott.Barnett{at}na.amedd.army.mil

Background/objectives: Few studies of Chlamydia trachomatis incidence, especially among men, and most studies of C trachomatis in US military populations are cross sectional prevalence surveys. A population based retrospective cohort was used to determine risk factors for repeat diagnoses of genital C trachomatis infections among male and female soldiers with previous C trachomatis infections.

Methods: All active duty soldiers diagnosed with C trachomatis genital infections between 1994 and 1998. Cohort members were passively followed until repeat diagnoses of C trachomatis infection, termination of army service, or the end of the study.

Results: Among 11 771 soldiers with initial diagnoses of chlamydia, the crude rate of repeat diagnoses was 52.0 per 1000 person years. Women and men aged 20–24 were at greatest unadjusted risk of reinfection. After adjustment, women aged 20–24 and men aged 25–29 were at higher risk than their younger or older counterparts.

Conclusions: Results of this study suggest that both male and female soldiers who are diagnosed with chlamydia infections have relatively high risks of reinfection through their 20s.

Key Words: epidemiology; military personnel; sexually transmitted diseases; United States

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