Preliminary results of a screening programme for Chlamydia in an asymptomatic young population

Abstract Introduction Chlamydia trachomatis infection has increased in recent years, reaching 127 million cases in 2016. Possible complications, especially among women, require intervention for early detection. The objective of our study was to determine the prevalence of Chlamydia infection in a young, sexually active, asymptomatic population.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among young patients aged 18 to 25 years attending the emergency room for any reason. The presence of Chlamydia trachomatis and other STIs in urine was determined.Results Twenty-two patients enrolled in the screening (7.4%) were diagnosed with Chlamydia. A further nine patients among the partners of those affected were detected. Young people with two or more sexual partners in the last month and those suffering from infection by ureaplasma were at greater risk of infection by Chlamydia. Up to 50% of participants do not use barrier methodsConclusion The prevalence of infection by Chlamydia in the asymptomatic young population is higher than expected. The scarce use of barrier methods among this population may be one of the causes of this increase and one of the targets to work on in order to reduce the prevalence of the infection.