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Sex Transm Infect 2003;79:474-478 doi:10.1136/sti.79.6.474
  • Public health

Prevalence and determinants of Chlamydia trachomatis infections in women from Bogota, Colombia

  1. M Molano1,2,
  2. E Weiderpass4,
  3. H Posso2,
  4. S A Morré3,
  5. M Ronderos2,
  6. S Franceschi4,
  7. A Arslan4,
  8. C J L M Meijer1,
  9. N Muñoz4,
  10. A J C van den Brule1,
  11. and the HPV Study Group*
  1. 1Department of Pathology, Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
  2. 2Division de Investigacion, Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia, Bogota, Colombia
  3. 3Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Faculty of Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  4. 4International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
  1. Correspondence to:
 Elisabete Weiderpass
 Unit of Field and Intervention Studies, International Agency for Research on Cancer, 150 cours Albert Thomas, F-69372 Lyon Cedex 08, France; weiderpassiarc.fr
  • Accepted 11 June 2003

Abstract

Objectives:Chlamydia trachomatis infection in the cervix and uterus has been hypothesised to be a co-factor for cervical cancer. We performed a cross sectional study in Bogota, Colombia, where cervical cancer rates are high, to determine the prevalence and determinants of C trachomatis infection, and in particular its association with human papillomavirus (HPV).

Methods: 1829 low income sexually active women were interviewed and tested for C trachomatis, using an endogenous plasmid PCR-EIA, and for 37 HPV types, using a general primer GP5+/6+ mediated PCR-EIA.

Results: The overall prevalence of C trachomatis was 5.0%, and it did not differ substantially between women with normal (5.0%) and those with abnormal (5.2%) cervical cytology. Women infected with any HPV type (15.1%) had a slightly increased risk of being simultaneously infected with C trachomatis (adjusted OR 1.3, 95% CI: 0.8 to 2.4). This association was stronger when multiple HPV infections (adjusted OR 2.5, 95% CI: 1.1 to 5.9) were present. No other lifestyle or reproductive characteristics were clearly associated with risk of C trachomatis infection.

Conclusions: HPV infected women, particularly women with multiple HPV infections, are at increased risk of being infected with C trachomatis.

Footnotes

  • ↵* *HPV STUDY GROUP
 Mauricio Gonzales, Joaquin Luna, Gilberto Martinez, Edmundo Mora, Gonzalo Perez, Jose Maria Fuentes. Constanza Gomez, Eva Klaus, Constanza Camargo, Cecilia Tobon, Teodolinda Palacio, Carolina Suarez, Claudia Molina.

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