Infecção por Chlamydia trachomatis em gestantes do município de Coari, Amazonas

Abstract

Women in the gestation period undergo several physiological, immunological, hormonal and anatomical changes in their body, changes that leave them vulnerable to some infections. One of the pathogens that frequently infects women and which may have a considerable impact on pregnant women is the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), whose infection is generally silent and can have serious consequences for the mother and fetus, such as premature birth, tubal pregnancy, and spontaneous abortion. The routine screening of this bacterium in women of childbearing age and in pregnant women has been carried out in some developed countries, but not yet in Brazil. The objective of this study was to study CT infection in pregnant women attended at the Basic Health Units of the Municipality of Coari, Amazonas, Brazil, and to verify possible associations between the presence of CT and clinical-epidemiological variables. It is a descriptive and cross-sectional study, with pregnant women attended at these units during the prenatal visit between July 2016 and March 2017. The pregnant women answered a questionnaire containing socio-demographic, behavioral and clinical data. The diagnosis of CT was performed using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique in urine and cervix-vaginal samples. Of a total of 164 pregnant women selected, 100 were included in the study. The mean age was 22.87 years (SD = 6.24). The prevalence rate of CT infection was 18% (18/100). The prevalence of CT in the urine samples was 15% (95% CI: 8.65 - 23.53) and in the cervix-vaginal samples was 11% (95% CI: 5.62 - 18.83). The prevalence of CT was found in pregnant women with a mean age of 21.15 years (SD = 4.65), and was higher in those who started sexual activity before 15 years of age, and in the primigravida, but it was only Associated with those who had more than two partners in the last 12 months (p = 0.022) and those with gynecological complaint of "pain after intercourse" (p = 0.05). This study showed a high prevalence (18%) of CT infection among pregnant women in the municipality of Coari/AM, and reinforces the need to screen for this infection during prenatal care in this population.