Læknablaðið - 15.07.1995, Blaðsíða 38

550
LÆKNABLAÐIÐ 1995; 81
Lower Genital Tract Infection with
Chlamydia trachomatis in Women
Requesting Induced Abortion
Kristín Jónsdóttir1), Reynir Tómas Geirsson11, Ólafur Steingrímsson2’, Jón Hjaltalín Ólafsson31,
Svava Stefánsdóttir1*
Jónsdóttir K", Geirsson RT", Steingrímsson Ó",
Ólafsson JH'", Stefánsdóttir S"
Læknablaðið 1995; 81: 550-2
Postoperative pelvic infection is a serious complica-
tion of induced abortion, and may occur in 2-6% of
cases. A study of the prevalence and distribution by
age and marital status of cervical Chlamydia in-
fection in 1991-93 in women seeking termination of
pregnancy is in progress. The data for 1993 are pre-
sented and compared to results from a previous
study. There were 686 women requesting termina-
tion of pregnancy in 1993. Of those 636 had induced
abortion by suction evacuation, 11 aborted sponta-
neously, three were not pregnant, two were refused
termination of pregnancy and 34 women withdrew
their request. Of those who had the operation, 633
(92.3%) had samples taken and 48 were Chlamydia
trachomatis positive (7.6%). The reduction from the
previous study was significant where 13.5% of the
women were Chlamydia positive. The Chlamydia
positive women were also younger and more often
single than those who were negative. It has been
shown that if Chlamydia positive women are treated
the incidence of later endometritis and salpingitis is
not higher than among those that are negative. This
emphasizes the importance of screening and treating
Chlamydia positive women requesting termination
of pregnancy.
From the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology", Mi-
crobioiogy21 and Dermato-Venerology3’ at the University of
lceland, Reykjavík, lceland. Correspondence: Kristín Jóns-
dóttir Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Uni-
versity Hospital, 101 Reykjavík, lceland.
Kcy words: induced abortion. sexually transmitted disease,
Chlamydia.
Frá kvennadeild", sýklafræðideild21, húð- og kynsjúkdóma-
deild3) Landspítalans. Fyrirspurnir, bréfaskipti: Kristín Jóns-
dóttir kvennadeild Landspítalans, 101 Reykjavík.
Introduction
Postoperative pelvic infection is a serious
complication of induced abortion, and may fol-
low the termination procedure in 2-6% of
cases (1,2). The risk is increased if C. tracho-
rnatis is present in the cervical canal before the
abortion. These infections can lead to infertil-
ity later on.
At the National Hospital, samples have
been taken for C. trachomatis from all women
requesting termination of pregnancy since
1982. A previous study done at the hospital in
the years 1982-84 showed that 13.5% of women
seeking termination of pregnancy had cervical
Chlamydia when swabs were taken from the
endocervical canal and cultured. Most of these
women were under 25 years of age. Consorts
for the last six months were also traced, and
positive individuals treated. In that study there
were 1754 women screened and of those 218
were positive (13.5%). Mean age of the posi-
tive women was 20.8 years compared to 25.5
years for those that were not infected with
Chlamydia. Of those infected 86.6% were =S25
years and 13.4% were ^26 years and among
the consorts who were tested 47% were posi-
tive (4).
Now 10 years later a study of the prevalence
and distribution by age and marital status of
cervical Chlamydia infection in 1991-93 in
women seeking termination of pregnancy is in
progress. The data for 1993 are presented.
Materials and methods
All case histories of women requesting ter-
mination of pregnancy in 1993 at the Depart-
ment of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Na-
tional University Hospital were studied. In-
formation was obtained from the medical and
social work records on age, marital status, par-