Positive nucleic acid amplification test results are rarely indicative of a viable rectal Chlamydia trachomatis infection among men with anal exposures other than receptive anal sex

In 2019-2022 we enrolled men who have sex with men who did not engage in receptive anal sex but had other anorectal exposures (e.g., rimming). Of 29 men who tested positive for rectal chlamydia by nucleic acid amplification testing, only 10 (34.5%) were viable by culture or viability PCR.