A group of 16 to 25 year old Australian women were recruited from primary health care clinics to determine chlamydia and MG prevalence and incidence. We tested vaginal swabs collected at recruitment.
Among the 1116 participants, we found chlamydia prevalence was 4.9% and MG prevalence was 2.4%. Younger women were more likely to have a chlamydia infection, and younger age was not associated with MG infection. MG was associated with vaginal discharge. Chlamydia showed no associations with any reported symptoms.
Having two or more partners in the last 12 months was more strongly associated with chlamydia than MG. Unprotected sex with three or more partners was less strongly associated with chlamydia than MG. These results demonstrate significant chlamydia and MG prevalence in Australian women. The differences in strengths of association between numbers of sexual partners and unprotected sex for infection with chlamydia and MG may be due to differences in the transmission dynamics between these infections.
Publications
The difference in determinants of Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium in a sample of young Australian women
Walker J, Fairley CK, Bradshaw CS, Tabrizi SN, Chen MY, Twin J, Taylor N, Donovan B, Kaldor JK, McNamee K, Urban E, Walker S, Currie M, Birden H, Bowden F, Gunn J, Pirotta M, Gurrin L, Harindra V, Garland S and Hocking JS
(2011), BMC Infectious Diseases,