Skip to main content
PMC home page
Sexually Transmitted Infections logoLink to Sexually Transmitted Infections
. 1999 Jun;75(3):156–161. doi: 10.1136/sti.75.3.156

A collaborative approach to management of chlamydial infection among teenagers seeking contraceptive care in a community setting

N J James, S Hughes, I Ahmed-Jushuf, R C Slack
PMCID: PMC1758211  PMID: 10448392

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To develop and assess a coordinated model of care for effective management of genital chlamydial infection in young women, identified through a selective screening programme in a community based teenage health clinic. METHODS: Selective screening for genital Chlamydia trachomatis was undertaken among young women aged 13-19 years who were having a routine cervical smear test, being referred for termination of pregnancy, or who reported behavioural risk factors, for, and/or symptoms of, genital infection. Collaboration among family planning, genitourinary medicine (GUM), and public health staff was used to enhance management of infected individuals, with particular focus on partner notification. RESULTS: 94 young women had confirmed genital chlamydial infection, representing 11% of those tested. All index patients received appropriate antibiotic therapy and follow up; 93 (99%) of these were counselled by a health adviser, of whom 62 (66%) were able to provide sufficient details for partner notification, resulting in treatment of male partners associated with 51 (82%) of these young women. Younger age (< or = 16 years) was significantly associated with delay in attending for treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Effective management of genital chlamydial infection is achievable in settings outside GUM clinics using a collaborative approach which incorporates cross referencing between community based services and GUM clinics. 




Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (113.9 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Andersen B., Ostergaard L., Møller J. K., Olesen F. Home sampling versus conventional contact tracing for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis infection in male partners of infected women: randomised study. BMJ. 1998 Jan 31;316(7128):350–351. doi: 10.1136/bmj.316.7128.350. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Boag F., Kelly F. Screening for Chlamydia trachomatis. The case for screening is made, but much detail remains to be worked out. BMJ. 1998 May 16;316(7143):1474–1474. doi: 10.1136/bmj.316.7143.1474. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bower H. Britain launches pilot screening programme for chlamydia. BMJ. 1998 May 16;316(7143):1479–1479. doi: 10.1136/bmj.316.7143.1477e. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cowan F. M., French R., Johnson A. M. The role and effectiveness of partner notification in STD control: a review. Genitourin Med. 1996 Aug;72(4):247–252. doi: 10.1136/sti.72.4.247. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Grun L., Tassano-Smith J., Carder C., Johnson A. M., Robinson A., Murray E., Stephenson J., Haines A., Copas A., Ridgway G. Comparison of two methods of screening for genital chlamydial infection in women attending in general practice: cross sectional survey. BMJ. 1997 Jul 26;315(7102):226–230. doi: 10.1136/bmj.315.7102.226. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gunneberg N., Mann M. C., Radcliffe K. W. Access to genitourinary medicine services by women attending a family planning clinic. Int J STD AIDS. 1996 Mar-Apr;7(2):102–105. doi: 10.1258/0956462961917465. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hopwood J., Mallinson H., Jones I. There is more to a test than technology-evaluation of testing for chlamydia infection in a charitable sector termination service. Br J Fam Plann. 1998 Jan;23(4):116–119. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Johnson A. M., Grun L., Haines A. Controlling genital chlamydial infection. BMJ. 1996 Nov 9;313(7066):1160–1161. doi: 10.1136/bmj.313.7066.1160. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Mason D., Kerry S., Oakeshott P. Postal survey of management of cervical Chlamydia trachomatis infection in English and Welsh general practices. BMJ. 1996 Nov 9;313(7066):1193–1194. doi: 10.1136/bmj.313.7066.1193. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. May R. M., Anderson R. M. Transmission dynamics of HIV infection. Nature. 1987 Mar 12;326(6109):137–142. doi: 10.1038/326137a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. McLean K. Audit of contact tracing for gonococcal and chlamydial infection. Int J STD AIDS. 1993 May-Jun;4(3):181–181. doi: 10.1177/095646249300400314. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Oakeshott P., Hay P. General practice update: chlamydia infection in women. Br J Gen Pract. 1995 Nov;45(400):615–620. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Owen P. A., Hughes M. G., Munro J. A. Study of the management of chlamydial cervicitis in general practice. Br J Gen Pract. 1991 Jul;41(348):279–281. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ross J. D., McIver A., Blakely A., Dalrymple J., Peacock W., Wallis C. Why do patients default from follow-up at a genitourinary clinic?: a multivariate analysis. Genitourin Med. 1995 Dec;71(6):393–395. doi: 10.1136/sti.71.6.393. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Ross J. D., Sutherland S., Coia J. Genital Chlamydia trachomatis infections in primary care. BMJ. 1996 Nov 9;313(7066):1192–1193. doi: 10.1136/bmj.313.7066.1192a. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Simms I., Catchpole M., Brugha R., Rogers P., Mallinson H., Nicoll A. Epidemiology of genital Chlamydia trachomatis in England and Wales. Genitourin Med. 1997 Apr;73(2):122–126. doi: 10.1136/sti.73.2.122. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Singh G., Blackwell A. Morbidity in male partners of women who have chlamydial infection before termination of pregnancy. Lancet. 1994 Nov 19;344(8934):1438–1438. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(94)90608-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Whatley J., Thin N., Reynolds B., Blackwell A. Problems of adolescents sexuality. J R Soc Med. 1989 Dec;82(12):732–734. doi: 10.1177/014107688908201210. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Wilson S., Daniel S., Pearson J., Hopton C., Madeley R. An evaluation of a new teenage clinic and its impact on teenage conceptions in Nottingham from 1986 to 1992. Contraception. 1994 Jul;50(1):77–86. doi: 10.1016/0010-7824(94)90082-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Sexually Transmitted Infections are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES