Interest of simultaneous Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae screening at the time of preabortion consultation.
BACKGROUND
This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) infection among women consulting for abortion and to discuss screening for these pathogens in this population.


METHODS
Systematic CT/NG screening using real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed on cervical samples from 421 women who consulted for abortion over a 6-month period.


RESULTS
Among the 421 women included, 13 had symptoms of gynecological infection, and 408 were asymptomatic. Only one of the symptomatic women was infected with CT (7.7%), and none of the women were infected with NG. Among the asymptomatic women, 40 were CT infected (9.8%), and three were NG infected. The overall prevalence was 9.7% for CT infection and 0.7% for NG infection.


CONCLUSIONS
This population had a high prevalence of CT infection and a low prevalence of NG infection. Most infections were asymptomatic, which could justify systematic simultaneous screening for these two pathogens.
CHRU de Tours, Service de Bactériologie-Virologie, F-37044 Tours, France.
Anne-Lise
AL
Toyer
Nathalie
N
Trignol-Viguier
Laurent
L
Mereghetti
Bruno
B
Joly
Elisabeth
E
Blin
Gilles
G
Body
Alain
A
Goudeau
Philippe
P
Lanotte
D000028:Abortion, Induced; D000328:Adult; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000382:microbiology; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction