Causer L, Liu B, Watts C, et al. - Studies have described a high burden of both chlamydia and gonorrhea infections and disproportionately high rates of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) among Aboriginal women living in remote Australia. Researchers herein conducted the first study investigating the fraction of PID attributable to these infections in young Aboriginal women living in these settings.

• From two large Australian studies (2002–2013; 2010–2014), researchers retrieved data and estimated the fraction of emergency department presentations and hospitalizations for PID attributable to chlamydia and/or gonorrhea infection in Aboriginal women aged 16–29 years living in remote Australia.

• Only chlamydia was prevalent in 12.9%, only gonorrhea in 7.8% and dual infection in 6.5%; rate ratios of PID were 1.9, 5.2 and 4.6, respectively.

• PID attributable to chlamydia and/or gonorrhea was prevalent in 40.2%; any gonorrhea in 33.4% and any chlamydia in 20.6%.

• Findings establishes the relevance of determining the fraction of PID linked to chlamydia and gonorrhea in the local context, highlighting the major contribution gonorrhea makes to PID hospitalizations among Australian Aboriginal women living in remote settings.