EARLY-ONSET AND LATE-ONSET PELVIC-INFLAMMATORY-DISEASE AMONG WOMEN WITH CERVICAL CHLAMYDIA-TRACHOMATIS INFECTION AT THE TIME OF INDUCED-ABORTION - A FOLLOW-UP-STUDY

After termination of a double-blind, randomized study on erythromycin in the prevention of post-abortion infection, 34 women (14 treated with erythromycin, 20 not treated with erythromycin) harbouring Chlamydia trachomatis were followed up within 6 weeks and again 2 to 24 months after the abortion in order to detect an early- and late-onset pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). For statistical analysis survival analysis by Kaplan-Meir estimates and Mantel-Cox test were carried out. Untreated women with C. trachomatis infection at the time of abortion had a cumulative risk of 72% of developing early and/or late PID, if observed for 24 months. This cumulative risk was significantly reduced to 8% if the C. trachomatis infection was treated at the time of the abortion. Screening for and treatment of C. trachomatis is warranted, expecially in women less than or equal to 25 years old, to avoid early and late-onset PID after induced first trimester abortion.