SURVEY OF THE TREATMENT OF CHLAMYDIA-TRACHOMATIS INFECTION OF THE FEMALE GENITAL-TRACT

A questionnaire was sent to every tenth (n = 302) general practitioner in Norway. The physicians were to indicate their choice of antibiotic regimen for the treatment of genital chlamydial infections in women. Sixty-nine percent of the practitioners responded. The choice of treatment varied widely between the respondents. Forty-two different regimens were used for chlamydial cervicitis, 34 for cervicitis in pregnancy and 63 for probable pelvic infection. Of the prescribed treatments for these three diagnoses 14%, 5% and 46%, respectively, were compatible with the advice of the World Health Organization or the Centers for Disease Control. For the three previously mentioned diagnoses 49%, 79% and 43%, respectively, of the practioners would prescribe an antibiotic in either smaller doses, fewer daily doses or shorter duration than recommended. There is an urgent need to improve and standardize Norwegian general practitioners' treatment of chlamydial infection in women.