Infektološki glasnik, Vol. 41 No. 3, 2021.
Stručni rad
https://doi.org/10.37797/ig.41.3.1
Has the time come for Croatia to introduce chlamydia screening among the adolescent population?
Vanja Kaliterna
; Nastavni zavod za javno zdravstvo Splitsko-dalmatinske županije, Split, Hrvatska
Margarita Kuštera
; Sveučilišni odjel zdravstvenih studija Sveučilišta u Splitu, Split, Hrvatska
Petar Kaliterna
; Ordinacija obiteljske medicine, Split, Hrvatska
Sažetak
Background: Infections caused by chlamydia are among the most common sexually transmitted diseases, especially in population younger than 25 years. They are often asymptomatic, so infection remains unrecognized and untreated. Control of chlamydial infection is a public health responsibility, and implementation of chlamydial screening allows timely detection, early treatment of infection and prevention of complications.
The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in Split-Dalmatia County, to analyse the incidence regarding to age and gender, and based on the results to conclude has the time come for Croatia to introduce chlamydia screening among the adolescent population.
Methods: For the purposes of this paper, six-year data from routine testing for C. trachomatis at the Teaching Institute for Public Health of Split-Dalmatia County (TIPH-SDC) were analysed. The tests were performed by PCR method on the Cobas 4800 system (Roche).
Results: In the six-year period (2015–2020), a total of 45,431 patients were tested for C.trachomatis, and 1,010 (2.2%) were positive. In the group of persons younger than 25 years, only 5,886 samples were taken (13.0% of the total number tested). Among them, 6.1% were positive for chlamydia (5.7% of tested women and 9.0% of tested men, younger than 25 years). In the age group older than 25 years, only 1.6% patients were positive for chlamydia (1.4% of women and 3.2% of men).
Conclusion: According to the results of our study, the prevalence of chlamydial infection in adolescent population is significantly higher than 3.0%, which indicates the necessity and cost-effectiveness for introduction of chlamydia screening among adolescent population in Croatia.
Ključne riječi
chlamydia; screening; adolescent population; Croatia
Hrčak ID:
274197
URI
Datum izdavanja:
22.3.2022.
Posjeta: 1.970 *