The frequency of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections among women in Kermanshah, Iran

Background: Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a major health problem in various societies. Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae are among the most important bacterial causes. Molecular techniques have been used for detection of these pathogens with high sensitivity and specificity.

Objective: We studied the frequency of C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae in women with cervicitis in Kermanshah City.

Method: A total of 255 married women with cervicitis referred to Kermanshah’s clinics were randomly included in this study. Endocervical samples were collected using Dacron swabs and sent to the laboratory in phosphate buffered saline. The clinical symptoms of women were recorded. Samples were tested with specific primers for C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae using a multiplex PCR technique.

Results: Among 255 cases, 14 (5.5%) showed bacterial infections. C. trachomatis were detected in 8 (3.1%) samples and N. gonorrhoeae were detected in 6 (2.4%) samples. The rate of infection was higher in women under the age of 25 years. There was no case of simultaneous infection for both bacteria.

Conclusion: This study indicated that the incidence of infection with C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae in Kermanshah is relatively low, which is consistent with the results of other studies in Middle East.