Show considered sufficiently strong to detect true difference Dowdy and Weardin 1983 Power was calculated using the method of Beaumont and Breslow Beaumont and Breslow 1981 The formula for this calculation is also presented in Appendix Results For 1997-1999 the rates of chlamydia in Salt Lake County were significantly elevated for males and females of all age groups compared to the rates for the rest of the state The cumulative 1997-1999 SIR for males was07 Cl89 26 and the cumulative SIR for females was03 Cl95 11 See Table The rates of chlamydia in Weber County in certain groups were also significantly elevated compared to the rates for the rest of the state data not shown In 1997 males aged 15-19 hadSIR of47 CI43 78 and females aged 15-19 hadSIR of18 Cl7763 In 1998 Weber County females in all age groups had significantly elevated rates of chiamydia In 1999 Weber County females aged 15-29 years had significantly elevated rates No other counties had significantly elevated rates of chlamydia in any age group from 1997-1999 when compared to the rates for the rest of the state The overall rates of chlamydia in Utah increased for most age groups from 19971999 For 1997-1999 Salt Lake County was the only county with significantly elevated gonorrhea rates for males and females of all age groups The cumulative SIR for males was46 Cl03 92 and the cumulative SIR for females was87 CI33 46 See Table No other counties had significantly elevated rates of gonorrhea in any age group from 1997-1999 when compared to the rates for the rest of the state The statewide rates of gonorrhea in Utah increased for most age groups from 1997-1999 Discus Chlamydia and gonorrhea are the two most commonly reported sexually transmitted diseases STDs in Utah The morbidity of these two diseases was not randomly distributed throughout Utah for the years 1997-1999 Chlamydial and gonorrheal infection rates for Salt Lake County and chlamydial infection rates for selected groups in Weber County are significantly elevated when rest of Utah compared to those for the Future studies of the distribution of disease in these two counties would be valuable to permit the identification of risk factors besides county of residence that might be associated withhigher risk of infection STDs disproportionately affect adolescents and young adults Fish Oriel Ridgeway 1989 Handsfield Jasmin Roberts 1986 Judson 1990 Cates 1990 In Utah the majority of chlamydia cases reported are in persons 1524 years of age Utahgonorrhea cases however have been reported primarily in persons over 25 years of age The reasons for this higher gonorrheal infection rate among older individuals are not completely understood however gonorrheal infections have been diagnosed disproportionately in persons with involvement in prostitution and or illcit drug use These behaviors may be more prominent in older individuals in Utah Chlamydia issexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis It is most common among teenagers and young adults and isleading cause of infertiity In nearly 70 percent of females and 25 percent of males the disease is asymptomatic Control of Communicable Disease Manual 1997-99 The unequal distribution of cases of chlamydia between males and females is likely to be due to differences in screening Females are more likely than males to be screened for chlamydia as part of their routine health care Untreated chlamydia can permanently damage male and female reproductive organs Complications of chlamydia in women include pelvic inflammatory disease infertilty ectopic pregnancy or chronic pelvic pain Infection with chlamydia during pregnancy may resuit inpremature delivery andrisk of conjunctival and pneumonic infection in the newbom Berkow and Fletcher 1992 Complications of chlamydia in men may include epididymitis infertiity and Reiter syndrome Control of Communicable Disease Manual 1997-99 Digital image 2005 Marriott Library University of Utah Al rights reserved |