Frequency of <i>Chlamydia trachomatis</i> and <i>Neisseria gonorrhoeae</i> in Patients with Imminent Preterm Delivery on the Island of Curaçao

Abstract

Sexually transmitted infections are one of the important risk factors for preterm delivery, which is among the important contributors to perinatal morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections in women with imminent preterm delivery in Curaçao, an island of the Dutch Caribbean. All women from Curaçao with either preterm premature rupture of the membranes or preterm labor, common indications of imminent preterm delivery, and presenting at the Curaçao Medical Center between 15 November 2019 and 31 December 2020, were included in this single cohort study. Data were retrospectively collected from medical records. The presence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae was assessed by Cepheid GeneXpert ® (Xpert) CT/NG assay (Sunnyvale, CA, USA). In the included cohort, the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection was 15.5% and of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection was 2.1%. All patients infected with Neisseria gonorrhoeae were co-infected with Chlamydia trachomatis. The prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections in patients with imminent preterm delivery in Curaçao is high. It is recommended to test all patients with imminent preterm delivery for these sexually transmitted infections and possibly consider testing all women in early pregnancy on the island.

Keywords

• <i>Chlamydia trachomatis</i>
• <i>Neisseria gonorrhoeae</i>
• sexual and reproductive health
• pregnancy
• imminent preterm delivery
• Curaçao