Prenatal Screening for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea: An Evidence Based Approach

Elizabeth Darling, RM MSc

ABSTRACT
Various North American guidelines regarding prenatal screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea provide conflicting recommendations, and reflect differences in the values underlying interpretation of the available evidence. A systematic search of the literature was conducted to identify evidence regarding the risks and benefits of prenatal screening and treatment of chlamydia and gonorrhea. The available evidence suggests that there is an overall benefit to screening in both the first and third trimesters for women with risk factors for infection or for women living in settings with a high prevalence of infection. Women with no known risk factors who live in settings with a low prevalence of infection should be offered prenatal screening in the first trimester within a context of informed choice.

KEYWORDS
chlamydia, gonorrhea, pregnancy, mass screening, prenatal screening

This article has been peer-reviewed.