Chlamydia trachomatis infection and associated risk factors in a low-income marginalized urban population in coastal Peru

Objectives. To estimate Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection prevalence and associated risk factors among a low-income marginalized urban population in Peru. Methods. Between April 2003 and April 2005, men and women at high-risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were recruited from low-income urban areas in three coastal cities in Peru (Chiclayo, Lima, and Trujillo). Consenting participants were studied using a sero-epidemiologic survey. Urine and vaginal swabs collected from men and women were evaluated using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (COBAS AMPLICOR (CT/NG) Test, Roche Molecular Diagnostics, Branchburg, NJ, USA) for CT. Results. Among the 2 440 participants recruited for the study (2 145 men and 295 women), overall prevalence of CT infection was 6.6% (95% CI, 5.6-7.6%): 5.5% (95% CI, 4.5-6.5%) in men and 14.9% (95% CI, 11.7-27.1%) in women. Chlamydial infection was inversely associated with age and positively associated with HIV infection and dysuria in men. Among women, chlamydial infection was inversely associated with age and positively associated with number of sex partners. Conclusions. CT infection was common among high-risk men and women in urban coastal Peru. Because chlamydial infection is associated with complications related to female reproduction, including infertility and ectopic pregnancy, interventions to prevent and treat infection and studies to determine the feasibility of population-based screening for CT should be conducted among the high-risk female population.