Chlamydia Prevalence Among College Students: Reproductive and Public Health Implications

In Brief Background: Routine chlamydia screening is not readily available at all college campuses. Objectives: To assess the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis among asymptomatic college students and to compare chlamydia positivity by selected demographic variables. Methods: Analysis of demographical data collected on 789 students who volunteered for a urine screening of C. trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrheae infections at 10 colleges in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Results: The median age was 20 years. The chlamydia prevalence among all students was 9.7%. Students under the age of 20 years were 66% more likely to be infected than were older students (95% CI 1.01–2.73). Younger female students were 92% more likely to be infected than were older female students (95% CI 1.03–3.59). Conclusions: The chlamydia prevalence was higher in younger college students; more screening efforts and increased awareness are needed to reduce the prevalence of chlamydial infections among students. Data findings on 789 college students screened at 10 colleges and universities in the South revealed that younger students were 66% more likely to have Chlamydia trachomatis infections than older students.