title: Chlamydial and gonococcal testing during pregnancy in the United States.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the study was to estimate the rates of testing, prevalence, and follow-up testing for chlamydial and gonococcal infection in a nationally based population that is comparable with the US pregnant population in terms of age and race.
  
  
  METHODS
  We extracted laboratory results for 1,293,423 pregnant women tested over a 3-year period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During pregnancy, 59% (761,315 of 1,293,423) and 57% (730,796 of 1,293,423) of women were tested at least once for Chlamydia trachomatis or for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, respectively. Of those women tested, 3.5% (26,437 of 761,315) and 0.6% (4605 of 730,796) tested positive for chlamydial and gonococcal infection, respectively, at least once during pregnancy. Of those women who were initially positive for the given infection, 78% (16,039 of 20,489) and 76% (2610 of 3435) were retested, of whom 6.0% (969 of 16,039) and 3.8% (100 of 2610) were positive on their last prenatal test for C trachomatis and N gonorrhoeae, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many pregnant women are not tested for C trachomatis and N gonorrhoeae despite recommendations to test. Follow-up testing to monitor the effectiveness of treatment is also not always performed.
authors.affiliation: Quest Diagnostics, West Norriton, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Amy J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Blatt
authors.forename: Jay M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lieberman
authors.forename: Donald R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Hoover
authors.forename: Harvey W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Kaufman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult