Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection in adolescents in Northern Italy: an observational school-based study

• Published in: BMC public health 2016-02, Vol.16 (198), p.200-200, Article 200
• Main Authors: Matteelli, Alberto, Capelli, Michela, Sulis, Giorgia, Toninelli, Giuseppe, Carvalho, Anna Cristina C, Pecorelli, Sergio, Caruso, Arnaldo, Bonfanti, Carlo, Gargiulo, Franco, Donato, Francesco
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Care and treatment; Chlamydia; Chlamydia Infections - epidemiology; Chlamydia trachomatis; Chlamydia trachomatis - isolation & purification; Complications and side effects; Condoms; Condoms - statistics & numerical data; Female; Females; Gonorrhea - epidemiology; Health aspects; Humans; Industrial areas; Italy - epidemiology; Male; Males; Mass Screening; Multivariate Analysis; Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Neisseria gonorrhoeae - isolation & purification; Patient outcomes; Prevalence; Prevalence studies (Epidemiology); Public health; Risk Factors; Risk-Taking; Schools; Sex differences; Sexual behavior; Sexual Behavior - psychology; Sexual Behavior - statistics & numerical data; Sexual Partners; Sexual risk behaviour; Sexually transmitted diseases; STD; Students; Students - psychology; Students - statistics & numerical data; Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teenagers; Urine; Youth
• ISSN: 1471-2458; 1471-2458
• DOI: 10.1186/s12889-016-2839-x

We carried out a study to evaluate the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae genital infections in school-based adolescents in Northern Italy. Systematic screening for C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae genital infection was performed in 13th grade students in the province of Brescia, an industrialized area in Northern Italy. Student filled in a questionnaire on sexual behaviour and provided a urine sample for microbiological testing. A total of 2,718 students (mean age: 18.4 years; 59.1% females) provided complete data (62.2% of those eligible). Overall 2,059 students (75.8%) were sexually active (i.e. had had at least one partner), and the mean age at sexual debut was 16.1 years (SD: 1.4). Only 27.5% of the sexually active students reported regular condom use during the previous 6 months, with higher frequency in males than in females (33.8% vs 24.2%). No case of N. gonorrhoeae infection was detected, while C. trachomatis was found in 36 adolescents, with a prevalence of 1.7% (95% CI: 1.2-2.4) among sexually active students, and no statistical difference between females and males (1.9 and 1.4%, respectively). Inconsistent condom use (odds ratio, OR = 5.5) and having had more than one sexual partner during the previous 6 months (OR = 6.8) were associated with an increased risk of Chlamydia infection at multivariate analysis. The prevalence of C. trachomatis infection among sexually active adolescents in Northern Italy was low, despite a high proportion of students who engage in risky sexual behaviour. No cases of N. gonorrhoeae infection were identified.