Chlamydia affects one in 20 women, study shows

MORE THAN one in 20 Irish women are now thought to have chlamydia even if they have no symptoms of the sexually transmitted disease that can cause infertility, a study published today shows.

The Well Woman Centre found that overall prevalence rates were running at over 6%, with the rate among women thought to be at a lower risk at 6.6%, compared to 7.2% among those considered to be at a higher risk.

The centre, which increased its level of chlamydia testing by around 60% last year, now routinely tests all women for chlamydia, symptoms of which may be mild or absent in around 70% of women infected.

Previously, the centre only tested women considered to be at a higher risk of contracting the disease. These women would be experiencing symptoms such as ‘spotting’, bleeding or pelvic discomfort.

The centre’s medical director, Dr Shirley McQuade, expressed surprise that the prevalence rate among women thought to be at a lower risk was so high.

“Up to now we were less likely to screen women with no symptoms and we did expect to see a big drop in the disease prevalence among this group. We were surprised that the difference was very little,” she said.

Dr McQuade pointed out that the disease was more prevalent among younger women. But she said those women most at risk — those under 20 — were less likely to visit the centre. The centre uses a urine test to indicate whether chlamydia is present so as not to deter younger women from being examined.

Dr McQuade said chlamydia was also a peculiar infection — some people were able to clear it from their system without any treatment whatsoever.

“I certainly have patients who find the diagnosis of chlamydia devastating. They automatically presume that their fertility will be compromised. This is not always the case,” she stressed.

The doctor also pointed to a Swedish study that suggests that the amount of damage that chlamydia can cause may be overestimated.

“We would like more people to come in, get tested and get treated. It is a serious disease but it is treatable and the fertility risk might may not be as great as previously thought.”

The centre also noticed an increase in the number of women attending for cervical screening. Numbers had been hovering around the 8,000-plus a year mark until 2005, when the figure jumped to over 9,000.

“More people are becoming aware of the need for smear tests as a result of increased media coverage on the incidence of cervical cancer,” said Dr McQuade.