Unsuspected Chlamydia trachomatis in females attending a sexually transmitted diseases clinic.

One hundred and five women attending Auckland sexually transmitted diseases clinic were reviewed because of positive cervical cultures for Chlamydia trachomatis. Their average age was 19 years, 70% were European; 28% were Maori. In half the patients the positive culture was a chance finding and therefore treatment was delayed resulting in six patients (12%) developing pelvic inflammatory disease. Eight out of nine male contacts, subsequently traced, had asymptomatic urethritis, one having epididymitis. One patient had no evidence of urethritis but was chlamydia positive. Associated pathogens present in the women were Neisseria gonorrhoeae (26%), Trichomonas vaginalis (6%), Gardnerella vaginalis (46%) and Candida albicans (19%). These findings support a need for routine chlamydial testing in female patients attending sexually transmitted diseases clinics and epidemiological treatment of female contacts of men with non-specific urethritis.