[Chlamydia trachomatis infection in central Norway--testing patterns and prevalence].
BACKGROUND
CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS: is the most prevalent sexually transmitted bacterial disease in Norway. The purpose of the present study was to describe testing patterns and prevalence of Chlamydia in a Norwegian county, with special focus on urine-based testing. :


METHODS
Data on all Chlamydia tests 1990 - 2006 for men and women 15 - 59 years old, living in Sør-Trøndelag County, were retrieved from a laboratory database. 243 671 Chlamydia test results were eligible for analysis.


RESULTS
Testing rates were considerably higher for men than for women in all age-groups throughout the study period. Urine-based testing was introduced for men in 2001 and for women in 2004. In 2006, urine-based testing comprised most of the test volume for men (15 - 19 year-olds: 87.9 %, 20 - 24 year-olds: 81.7 %), but far less for women (15 - 19 year-olds: 55.8 %, 20 - 24 year-olds: 26.5 %). The proportion of positive tests was higher for women with a urine-based test than for those with a sample from the cervix (2006: 15 - 19 year-olds: 18.0 % versus 13.5 %, 20 - 24 year-olds: 16.9 % versus 9.6 %).


CONCLUSIONS
Male testing rates have increased after urine-based testing for Chlamydia became an option. Young women delivering urine samples are more often positive than women with cervix samples.
Bakken
Inger Johanne
IJ
Avdeling for epidemiologi SINTEF Helse 7465 Trondheim. inger.bakken@sintef.no
Nordbø
Svein Arne
SA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000382:microbiology; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000652:urine; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence