Oral Contraceptives Do Not Alter the Course of Experimentally Induced Chlamydial Salpingitis in Monkeys

Background and Objectives: The effects of oral contraceptive use on chlamydial infections and ensuing PID are not well understood. In this study, the effects of oral contraceptives on the clinical course of acute chlamydial salpingitis were investigated. Study Design: Monkeys (n = 4) in which salpingeal autotransplants had been established were given oral contraceptive pills consisting of a combination of estrogen and progesterone (Norlestrin 1/50, Parke-Davis, Ann Arbor, MI). After one complete cycle of hormone treatment, monkeys were inoculated with C. trachomatis serovar E in the subcutaneous salpingeal pockets while under continuous hormone treatment. Inoculated pockets were biopsied serially for isolation of organisms and histopathological evaluation. Two monkeys not given oral contraceptives were studied in parallel. Results: The duration of infection as evidenced by recovery of organisms was not appreciably different between the treated and untreated monkeys. Chlamydia could be recovered from pocket tissues through day 10 post-infection in control and treated animals, and on day 14 post-infection in one of two control animals. Thereafter all isolation became negative. The inflammatory infiltrate consisted primarily of mononuclear cells (50-100 cells per 40× field). Conclusions: Our results indicate that administration of oral contraceptives did not affect the duration of shedding of organisms nor the histopathology of acute chlamydial infection of the reproductive tract.