Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae prevalence and coinfection in adolescents entering selected US juvenile detention centers, 1997-2002.
BACKGROUND
Juvenile detention centers offer public health practitioners an opportunity to gain access to large numbers of adolescents at risk for chlamydia and gonorrhea.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the prevalence and coinfection of chlamydia and gonorrhea among adolescents in 14 US juvenile detention centers from 1997 to 2002.


METHODS
We calculated the prevalence of chlamydia and gonorrhea in males and females, stratified by race/ethnicity, age group, and site. We also calculated the proportion of adolescents with chlamydia that were coinfected with gonorrhea and the proportion of those with gonorrhea that were coinfected with chlamydia.


RESULTS
The prevalence of chlamydia was 15.6% in 33,619 females and 5.9% in 98,296 males; gonorrhea prevalence was 5.1% in females and 1.3% in males. Of females with gonorrhea, 54% were coinfected with chlamydia, and 51% of males with gonorrhea were coinfected with chlamydia.


CONCLUSIONS
Chlamydia and gonorrhea prevalence was very high in females in all project sites. In males, chlamydia prevalence was high in some areas; however, gonorrhea prevalence was substantially lower. These prevalence data justify screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea among female adolescents in juvenile detention centers nationally.
Kahn
Richard H
RH
Division of STD Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. rhk0@cdc.gov
Mosure
Debra J
DJ
Blank
Susan
S
Kent
Charlotte K
CK
Chow
Joan M
JM
Boudov
Melina R
MR
Brock
Jeffrey
J
Tulloch
Scott
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae; D015995:Prevalence; D011329:Prisoners; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*