Chlamydial infection in males and conseqences for their female sexual partners, an example from rural Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

The aim of this paper is to examine the reproductive health status for the wives of chlamydia-infected but largely asymptomatic men. In a cross-sectional study in rural Tanzania 447 men and 393 women aged 15-44 years were screened for chlamydial infection. The prevalence was 9.6% and 6.9% respectively. Among 43 chlamydia-positive men 17 were married. Data from both spouses independently examined could be matched for 12 couples. None of the 12 husbands had discharge one had dysuria and 3 had pyuria. Three wives tested positive for chlamydial infection two others had pelvic inflammatory disease four others had pyuria. Men reported more sexual partners than women and were considered being the index case for the chlamydial infection. While three of 11 wives (27%) tested chlamydia-positive from a cervical sample transmission might have occurred in 5-8 cases (transmission rate (42-67%) indicating that these 12 largely asymptomatic chlamydia-positive men were highly infectious to their sexual partners. (authors)