BMC Infectious Diseases (Feb 2011)

'The difference in determinants of <it>Chlamydia trachomatis </it>and <it>Mycoplasma genitalium </it>in a sample of young Australian women.'

  • Walker Sandra,
  • Urban Eve,
  • McNamee Kathleen,
  • Kaldor John K,
  • Donovan Basil,
  • Taylor Nicole,
  • Twin Jimmy,
  • Chen Marcus Y,
  • Tabrizi Sepehr N,
  • Bradshaw Catriona S,
  • Fairley Christopher K,
  • Walker Jennifer,
  • Currie Marian,
  • Birden Hudson,
  • Bowden Francis,
  • Gunn Jane,
  • Pirotta Marie,
  • Gurrin Lyle,
  • Harindra Veerakathy,
  • Garland Suzanne,
  • Hocking Jane S

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2334-11-35
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 1
p. 35

Abstract

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Abstract Background Differences in the determinants of Chlamydia trachomatis ('chlamydia') and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) genital infection in women are not well understood. Methods A cohort study of 16 to 25 year old Australian women recruited from primary health care clinics, aimed to determine chlamydia and MG prevalence and incidence. Vaginal swabs collected at recruitment were used to measure chlamydia and MG prevalence, organism-load and chlamydia-serovar a cross-sectional analysis undertaken on the baseline results is presented here. Results Of 1116 participants, chlamydia prevalence was 4.9% (95% CI: 2.9, 7.0) (n = 55) and MG prevalence was 2.4% (95% CI: 1.5, 3.3) (n = 27). Differences in the determinants were found - chlamydia not MG, was associated with younger age [AOR:0.9 (95% CI: 0.8, 1.0)] and recent antibiotic use [AOR:0.4 (95% CI: 0.2, 1.0)], and MG not chlamydia was associated with symptoms [AOR:2.1 (95% CI: 1.1, 4.0)]. Having two or more partners in last 12 months was more strongly associated with chlamydia [AOR:6.4 (95% CI: 3.6, 11.3)] than MG [AOR:2.2 (95% CI: 1.0, 4.6)] but unprotected sex with three or more partners was less strongly associated with chlamydia [AOR:3.1 (95%CI: 1.0, 9.5)] than MG [AOR:16.6 (95%CI: 2.0, 138.0)]. Median organism load for MG was 100 times lower (5.7 × 104/swab) than chlamydia (5.6 × 106/swab) (p Conclusions These results demonstrate significant chlamydia and MG prevalence in Australian women, and suggest that the differences in strengths of association between numbers of sexual partners and unprotected sex and chlamydia and MG might be due to differences in the transmission dynamics between these infections.