Demographic and reproductive factors for high seroprevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis among pregnant women in Japan

In order to elucidate demographic and reproductive factors associated with Chlamydia trachomatis seropositivity, serological screening and questionnai re survey were conducted on pregnant women in Negasaki Prefecture, Japan. S erum samples were taken from 1718 pregnant women between September and Dece mber, 1996, at the cooperative obstetric hospitals and clinics, and tested for the presence of antibodies to C. trachomatis using the enzyme immunoass ay. A questionnaire was administered on a sub-sample (n = 409), among whom 85 (20.8%) were seropositive. A multiple logistic analysis revealed that fo ur characteristics showed a significant association with the seropositivity : (i) experience of premarital pregnancy, (ii) non use of condoms, (iii) sh ort duration of education, and (iv) more frequent induced abortion. The uns afe sexual behavior of young people lacking proper knowledge of how to prev ent STD is the most important intervention target for control of the C. tra chomatis epidemic in Japan.