Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jan 15;25(1):158.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-21318-1.

Chlamydia cases in women of reproductive age, 2006-2020: an analysis of surveillance data from Southern China

Peizhen Zhao  1   2 , Peng Liang  3 , Jinshen Wang  1   3 , Wenqian Xu  1   3 , Shujie Huang  1   2 , Cheng Wang  4   5   6
Affiliations

Chlamydia cases in women of reproductive age, 2006-2020: an analysis of surveillance data from Southern China

Peizhen Zhao et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Chlamydia is common among women of reproductive age and can cause serious health issues. This study aimed to examine the trends and factors linked to newly diagnosed and reported chlamydia cases in women aged 15-49 in Guangdong Province from 2006 to 2020.

Methods: We included all newly diagnosed and reported chlamydia cases from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2020. Data from 21 cities in Guangdong Province were sourced from the National Notifiable Infectious Disease Reporting Information System in China. Temporal trends were analyzed using Joinpoint regression models. City-level factors (population density, net migration rate, and male-to-female sex ratio) were derived from the Guangdong Statistical Yearbook and the Guangdong Health and Family Planning Statistical Yearbook. Quasi-Poisson regression models were used to explore the relationship between sociodemographic factors and chlamydia incidence.

Results: From 2006 to 2020, 523,367 new chlamydia cases were reported among women of reproductive age in Guangdong. The mean reported rate was 122.6 per 100,000 population over 15 years, significantly increasing from 1.4 in 2006 to 179.7 in 2020 (average annual percent change [AAPC] = 47.4%, 95% CI: 42.8%-52.2%, P < 0.05). The highest rate was 196.8 per 100,000 population in 2019. Among older women, 9,045 cases were reported, with a mean reported rate of 4.9 per 100,000, rising significantly from 0.01 in 2006 to 9.6 in 2020 (AAPC = 52.6%, 95% CI: 30.3%-78.8%, P < 0.05). The reported rate among women of reproductive age correlated with the net migration rate (RR = 1.2; 95% CI: 1.2-1.3) and the ratio of those participating in child-bearing insurance to the permanent population (RR = 1.5; 95% CI: 1.4-1.6).

Conclusion: The reported rate of new chlamydia cases among women of reproductive age was significantly higher than among older adults and increased markedly from 2006 to 2020. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted prevention strategies for women of reproductive age.

Keywords: Chlamydia; Surveillance; Women of Reproductive Age.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study received approval from the institutional review boards of the Dermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University (2022110). Individual informed consent for this study was waived by the institutional review boards of the Dermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and also the local and international ethical guidelines. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Spatial distribution of chlamydia reported rate (per 100,000 population) among women in Guangdong, China, 2020
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Annual reported rate of new chlamydia diagnoses by age group in Guangdong, China, 2006–2020
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Average annual percent change among women in Guangdong, China, 2006–2020
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. World Health Organization, WHO guidelines for the treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis, 2016. - PubMed
    1. World Health Organization, Global progress report on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections, 2021.
    1. Tjahyadi D, Ropii B, Tjandraprawira KD, Parwati I, Djuwantono T, Permadi W, Li T. Female urogenital chlamydia: epidemiology, chlamydia on pregnancy, current diagnosis, and treatment. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2022;75:103448. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Haggerty CL, Gottlieb SL, Taylor BD, Low N, Xu F, Ness RB. Risk of sequelae after Chlamydia trachomatis genital infection in women. J Infect Dis. 2010;201(Suppl 2):S134-155. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Smith MK, Searle KM, Yang W, Rapheal E, Wang C, Zhao P, Yang L, Huang S, Yang B. Spatiotemporal analysis of 11 years of Chlamydia trachomatis data from southern China. Lancet Reg Health West Pac. 2021;11:100143. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources