Cumulative risk of chlamydial infection among young women in Florida, 2000-2011.
OBJECTIVE
Chlamydia trachomatis is a very common infection among young women in the United States; information on cumulative risk of infection is limited. We sought to estimate the cumulative risk of chlamydial infection for young women.


METHODS
We measured cumulative risk of reported chlamydial infection for 14- to 34-year-old women in Florida between 2000 and 2011 using surveillance records and census estimates. We calculated reported infections per woman, analyzed first infections to get cumulative risk, and calculated risk of repeat infection over the 12-year period.


RESULTS
There were 457,595 infections reported among 15- to 34-year-old women. Reports increased annually from 25,390 to 51,536. Nineteen-year-olds were at highest risk with 5.1 infections reported per 100 women in 2011. There were 341,671 different women infected. Among women aged 14-17 years in 2000, over 20% had at least one infection reported within 12 years, and among blacks, this risk was over 36%, and that underestimates risk because 18% of cases were missing race/ethnicity information. Repeat infections were common. Among 53,109 with chlamydia at the age of 15-20 years during 2000-2003, 36.7% had additional infections reported by 2011.


CONCLUSIONS
More than one out of five women in Florida was reported as having chlamydia during her young-adult years; risk was highest for black women. True infection risks were likely much higher because many infections were not diagnosed or reported. Young women who had chlamydia were very likely to get reinfected. Rates of infection remain high despite years of screening. More information is needed on how to prevent chlamydial infection.
Division of STD Prevention, National Center for HIV, Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia. Electronic address: tap1@cdc.gov.
Thomas A
TA
Peterman
Division of STD Prevention, National Center for HIV, Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
Daniel R
DR
Newman
Division of STD Prevention, National Center for HIV, Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
Elizabeth
E
Torrone
Florida Department of Health, Division of Disease Control and Health Protection, Tallahassee, Florida; Florida State University, College of Nursing, Tallahassee, Florida.
Karla
K
Schmitt
Florida Department of Health, Division of Disease Control and Health Protection, Tallahassee, Florida.
Stacy
S
Shiver
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D020380:Needs Assessment; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D055815:Young Adult
Chlamydia trachomatis; Epidemiology; Incidence; Pelvic inflammatory disease; Prevalence; Surveillance