Research Paper Title

Does the Hazard of Chlamydia Increase with the Number of Gonorrhea Diagnoses? A Large Population-Based Study Among U.S. Army Women.

Background

In the U.S. military, chlamydia and gonorrhoea are common sexually transmitted infections, especially among female service members. The aim of this study was to determine whether the number of gonorrhoea diagnoses sustained an increased hazard of chlamydia among military women.

Methods

This population-based study involved an analysis of all female gonorrhoea cases in the U.S. Army reported in the Defence Medical Surveillance System between 2006 and 2012. The effect of the number of gonorrhoea diagnoses on the hazard of chlamydia was analysed using the Prentice-Williams-Peterson gap-time model.

Results

Among 3,618 women with gonorrhoea diagnosis, 702 (19.4%) had a subsequent chlamydia diagnosis yielding a rate of 6.06 (95% CI = 5.63-6.53) cases per 100 person-years. Compared to women with one gonorrhoea diagnosis, the hazard ratio of chlamydia for women with two gonorrhoea diagnoses was 5.09 (95% CI = 4.42-5.86) and for women with three gonorrhoea diagnoses was 6.53 (95% CI = 3.93-10.83). The median time to chlamydia diagnosis decreased from 2.39 to 0.67 years for women with two to three gonorrhoea diagnoses.

Conclusions

The hazard of chlamydia increased significantly with the number of gonorrhoea diagnoses and the median time to chlamydia diagnosis decreased with an increasing number of gonorrhoea diagnoses among U.S. Army women.

Reference

Bautista, C.T., Wurapa, E.K. & Sanchez, J.L. (2018) Does the Hazard of Chlamydia Increase with the Number of Gonorrhea Diagnoses? A Large Population-Based Study Among U.S. Army Women. Journal of Women’s Health. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2018.7253. [Epub ahead of print].