Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection among women of reproductive age group in a tertiary hospital in northern Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis infections are the most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted infections recognized globally. There is a paucity of data on the prevalence of C. trachomatis infection in Northern Nigeria. This research was conducted with the objective of determining the prevalence of genital C. trachomatis infection among females in the reproductive age group. Materials and Methods: Three hundred and sixty‑five patients were enrolled in this study. Patients were administered questionnaires requesting information on biomedical, sociodemographic data. Endocervical specimens were collected, subjected to DNA extraction and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers from Inqaba Biotechnical industries, South Africa. Data management was done using SPSS software version 20.0 statistical package. Results: Of the 365 patients studied, 95 of them had positive results by the PCR assay, giving 26% prevalence for genital C. trachomatis infection among women of reproductive age group. Associated risk factors for genital chlamydia infection identified include low educational status, early age at sexual debut, early age at marriage, and lack of use of condoms during sexual intercourse. The frequency of positive results was found to be higher among the age group 25‑29 years, those living in suburban areas and the unmarried. Conclusion: A prevalence of 26% was found, in this study, for genital C. trachomatis infection among women of reproductive age group. Risk factors include as follows: low educational status, early age at sexual debut, early age at marriage, and lack of use of protection during sexual intercourse.