Disappointing performance of literature-derived selective screening criteria for asymptomatic Chlamydia trachomatis infection in an inner-city population

Background In an inner-city population with a low prevalence of Chlamydia t rachomatis infection, selective screening may be indicated to increase the efficiency of screening. Goal: To evaluate the performance of sets of selective screening criteria f or asymptomatic Chlamydia trachomatis infection in an inner-city population The criteria were derived from reports of studies carried out in various s ettings. Study Design: A total of 5714 women age 15 to 40 years living in Amsterdam were invited for a screening based on home-obtained urine specimens. Criter ia identified from the literature were applied to the screening population. A calculated area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve (AUC) o f greater than 0.75 was considered a good measure of diagnostic accuracy. Results: Of the four sets of criteria, selection based on the following det erminants showed the highest diagnostic accuracy: younger than 25 years, be ing unmarried, number of partners during the previous 6 months, Surinam or Antillean origin (black), and vaginal douching (AUC, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.65-0.6 9), Selection based on age done showed an AUC of 0.57 (95% CI, 0.55-0.69), Conclusion: The performance of selective screening criteria for asymptomati c C trachomatis infection in an inner-city population in Amsterdam was insu fficient to recommend its implementation in practice.