Background: Sexually transmitted infections represent a serious problem of public health. Chlamydia andMycoplasms infections are involved in the pathogenesis of female infertility and in other serious gynaecologicand obstetric or neonatal complications. This study aims to analyze the prevalence of these infections in adultwomen and teenagers and to evaluate variations between 2010 and 2008.Methods: Women of reproductive age, sexually active, regardless of symptoms, examined only once forChlamydia or, alternatively, for Mycoplasms vaginal/cervical infections, in 2008 (January-May) and in 2010(January-May), at the Sandro Pertini Hospital were considered. Chlamydia was detected using Polimerasechain reaction; Mycoplasms were detected through culture. Patients were divided into women aged <20years and ≥20 years. The Prevalence of Chlamydia and Mycoplasms infections was analyzed in both groupsand compared (X2 test).Results: In 2008, 20 (1.46%) out of 1369 of this hospital’s patients aged ≥20 years versus 0 (0%) of 33 aged<20 years had Chlamydia infection. In 2010, the prevalence of Chlamydia infection was significantly higherin women <20 years old than in adult patients (10.3% versus 1.50%) (P = 0.0002). In 2008, 497 (36.9%)of the 1346 adult women and 7 (28%) of 25 patients <20 years old had Mycoplasms infection. In 2010, theprevalence of Mycoplasms infection was significantly higher in women under 20 years (56%) than in adultpatients (34.8%) (P = 0.027). The prevalence of Mycoplasms infection amongst women aged <20 years wassignificantly higher in 2010 than in 2008 (P = 0.045).Conclusions: We observed an increased prevalence of Chlamydia and Mycoplasms infections in womenaged <20 years in 2010 as compared with 2008, but only few of young women were undergoing clinicalexaminations. Sexual education and access to clinical services should be promoted in order to achieve controlof sexually transmitted infections.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.