Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection and factors with the risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections in college students

• Published in: Revista argentina de microbiología 2015-01, Vol.47 (1), p.9-16
• Main Authors: Occhionero, Marcelo, Paniccia, Laura, Pedersen, Dina, Rossi, Gabriela, Mazzucchini, Héctor, Entrocassi, Andrea, Gallo Vaulet, Lucia, Gualtieri, Valeria, Rodríguez Fermepin, Marcelo
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Chlamydia Infections - epidemiology; Chlamydia Infections - transmission; Chlamydia trachomatis; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Bacterial - epidemiology; Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Bacterial - transmission; Students; Surveys and Questionnaires; Universities; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0325-7541
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ram.2014.11.003

Chlamydia trachomatis genital infection is nowadays considered one of the most frequent causes of sexually transmitted infections (STI) in the world, mainly affecting the group of young people under 25 years old. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of C. trachomatis infection in newly admitted students to Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca, Argentina, and to evaluate the risk factors to acquire STI. For that purpose, 204 young college students with a mean age of 19 were involved in this study. Each participant delivered a sample of first-void urine and completed a questionnaire which was then submitted anonymously. The research for C. trachomatis was done on 114 valid samples through a technique of DNA amplification, whose molecular target was the gene ompA. Four cases of infection by C. trachomatis were detected with a prevalence of 3.5%. The risks factors associated to the infection were a history of 7 or more partners since the start of sexual activity and contact with a new sexual partner in the last 4 months. The prevalence of such infection reflects a moderate circulation of this microorganism in the studied population. This fact, along with some aspects shown by the questionnaire results, would characterize a population having a low risk profile for acquiring STIs. However, some other information obtained from the questionnaires gave some opposite evidence, which would alert us on the need of keeping watch, raising awareness and implementing preventive actions in this population.