Chlamydia trachomatis infection among HIV-infected women attending an AIDS clinic in the city of Manaus, Brazil

Leila Cristina Ferreira Silva, Angélica Espinosa Miranda, Rosieny Santos Batalha, Carolina Sabino, Elizabeth Cristina Dantas Dib, Carolina Marinho da Costa, Rajendranath Ramasawmy, Sinésio Talhari

This was a cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of and to identify risk factors for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women attending the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) clinic in the city of Manaus, Brazil, in 2009-2010. Participants answered a questionnaire containing demographic, epidemiological, and clinical data. A genital specimen was collected during examination to detect CT-DNA by hybrid capture, and blood samples were taken to determine CD4(+)T and HIV viral load. There were 329 women included in the study. Median age was 32 years (IQR=27-38) and median schooling was nine years (IQR=4-11). The prevalence of CT was 4.3% (95%CI: 2.1-6.5). Logistic regression analysis showed that age between 18-29 years [OR=4.1(95%CI: 1.2-13.4)] and complaint of pelvic pain [OR=3.7 (95%CI: 1.2-12.8)] were independently associated with CT. The use of condom was inversely associated with CT [OR=0.39 (95%CI: 0.1-0.9)]. The results showed that younger women who did not use condoms are at a higher risk for CT. Screening for sexually transmitted infections must be done routinely and safe sexual practices should be promoted among this population.