Childhood vaginal infections: association of Chlamydia trachomatis with sexual contact.

To determine whether infections with Chlamydia trachomatis in children were significantly associated with previous sexual contact, we studied 124 female children ages 1 through 12 years with previous sexual contact and 90 female children without previous sexual contact. Vaginal, pharyngeal and rectal cultures for C. trachomatis were performed. Ten children with previous sexual contact and none without previous sexual contact had vaginal infections (P = 0.022, chi square test with 2 degrees of freedom). Rectal infections (three) and pharyngeal infections (two) were too few to relate statistically to sexual contact. We recommend that all female children being evaluated for sexual abuse be cultured for C. trachomatis, inasmuch as vaginal C. trachomatis is an excellent marker of sexual contact.