Genital infection in male partners of women with chlamydial infection

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine the prevalence of infection among male contacts of women with endocervical chlamydiae. The study population consisted of men who attended the Department of Genitourinary Medicine at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary as named contacts of women with endocervical chlamydiae. The diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis was based on a polymerase chain reaction.

Of 632 male contacts of 404 infected women, 155 (24%) attended the clinic, and 147 had satisfactory tests for chlamydiae; 64 (44%) men had chlamydial infection. A greater proportion of symptomatic men (14/22) were infected compared with asymptomatic men (50/125) (P<0.02). Symptomatic men attended the department earlier (median 0.0 days) than asymptomatic male contacts (median 11 days) (P<0.05). A greater proportion of male contacts of women with one partner (105/254) attended the clinic than those of women with two or more partners (42/112).

Better counselling policies for chlamydial infection are needed to ensure improved rate of diagnosis and treatment of male contacts.