Association between interpersonal violence and self-reported Chlamydia diagnosis among California women

Background: Studies indicate that sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are associated with exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV); therefore practice guidelines recommend that physicians screen all patients for recent IPV. Lifetime history of interpersonal violence and current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are correlated with IPV and may also be especially frequent among women with STDs.

Objective: To examine the relationship between exposure to lifetime interpersonal violence, PTSD symptoms, and self-reported Chlamydia (CT) diagnosis.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of population-based random-digit-dial survey of California women aged 18-44 (N=3,021). Participants were asked about exposure to sexual or physical abuse in childhood or adulthood, IPV, and PTSD symptoms. Logistic regressions were used to assess the association of interpersonal violence and past CT diagnosis adjusted for race/ethnicity.

Results: Forty-two percent of women reported a history of physical/sexual abuse or IPV. Women who reported exposure to any interpersonal violence were over three times more likely than women who did not report exposure to violence to report a past diagnosis of CT (AOR=3.24, 95%CI =2.40–4.36). Women reporting IPV were more likely to report a CT diagnosis than women who did not report IPV (AOR=2.19, 95%CI=1.56–3.09). Women who reported PTSD symptoms were significantly more likely to report a CT diagnosis (AOR=2.30, 95%CI=1.55–3.42).

Conclusions: The associations between past sexual/physical abuse, IPV, and PTSD and past CT diagnosis support expanding current recommendations to assess history of interpersonal violence, in addition to recent IPV, among women seeking care and targeting these women for STD screening and risk reduction counseling.