title: 'The difference in determinants of Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium in a sample of young Australian women'.
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 < 0.01) and not associated with age or symptoms for chlamydia or MG.
  
  
  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.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Women's Health, Gender and Society, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia. walker@unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Christopher K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Fairley
authors.forename: Catriona S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Bradshaw
authors.forename: Sepehr N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Tabrizi
authors.forename: Marcus Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jimmy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Twin
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Basil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Donovan
authors.forename: John K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kaldor
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McNamee
authors.forename: Eve
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Urban
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Currie
authors.forename: Hudson
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Birden
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bowden
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gunn
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pirotta
authors.forename: Lyle
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gurrin
authors.forename: Veerakathy
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Harindra
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garland
authors.forename: Jane S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Hocking
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D045704:Mycoplasma genitalium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015995:Prevalence; D012747:Sexual Partners; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D055815:Young Adult