Rectal chlamydial infection among men who have sex with men: Partner notification as a means of nucleic acid amplification test validation

Abstract

Nucleic acid amplification tests for the diagnosis of rectal chlamydial infection are not yet licenced. However, the detection of urethral Chlamydia trachomatis in sexual contacts of men who have sex with men (MSM) with rectal chlamydiae might support the validity of such tests. This was a retrospective study of the outcome of partner notification among MSM with rectal chlamydia who consecutively attended a sexually transmitted diseases clinic. During the study period, 5213 MSM attended the Department as new or ‘return new’ patients. There were 243 (5%) episodes of rectal chlamydial infection. In 87 men, at least one sexual partner was identified and attended the clinic. Overall, 34 (39%) of the 87 evaluable sexual contacts had urethral chlamydial infection. The finding of urethral C. trachomatis infection in a sizeable proportion of sexual contacts of men with rectal chlamydiae lends further support to the validation of the test system for the diagnosis of rectal chlamydia.