title: Chlamydia trachomatis infection among female inmates at Briman prison in Saudi Arabia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chlamydia trachomatis infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the western countries; its prevalence in the conservative Muslim population of Saudi Arabia is not known, but it is generally believed to be low. This study is the first to investigate the prevalence of and risk factors for C. trachomatis infection in the high-risk group of female inmates at Briman Prison in Jeddah.
  
  
  METHODS
  The inmates were interviewed using a pre-designed questionnaire, and their urine samples were tested for C. trachomatis infection by real-time PCR assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence of C. trachomatis infection was 8.7% in the study population. The ≤25 age group was predominantly affected, with an average prevalence of 16.6%. Two out of five (2/5, 40%) Yamani, (4/33 12.1%) Indonesian, (3/33, 9.1%) Somalian and (2/26, 7.7%) Ethiopian inmates were positive for infection. None of the Saudi inmates (0/14) were positive for infection. Among the studied variables, only age was significantly associated with the infection rate. The other variables (marital status, nationality, religion, employment status, education level, nature of the offense committed, knowledge about protection from STIs, and knowledge about condom use and the purpose of condom use) did not show a significant correlation with Chlamydia infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall prevalence of C. trachomatis infection was within the range published by other reports in similar prison settings in developed countries. The results indicate the need for a countrywide screening and treatment program for all inmates at the time of entry into prison.
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. fageeh.wafa@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Wafa
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fageeh
authors.forename: Sami
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Badawood
authors.forename: Hanin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Al Thagafi
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yasir
authors.forename: Esam
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Azhar
authors.forename: Suha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Farraj
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alomary
authors.forename: Moneerah
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alsaeed
authors.forename: Soonham
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yaghmoor
authors.forename: Taha
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kumosani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000652:urine; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia / Q000208:ethnology; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011330:Prisons; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012998:Somalia / Q000208:ethnology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult