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Chlamydia screening in a metropolitan Atlanta primary care clinic
Natalia V Oster1, Richard Rothenberg, Carol A McPhillips-Tangum
1Department of Health Policy and Management, Emory Center on Health Outcomes and Quality, Emory University of Medicine, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. noster@sph.emory.edu
Background:
Chlamydia is the most commonly reported infectious disease in the United States, yet many women at risk for chlamydia infection are not being tested.
Methods:
We conducted a chlamydia screening study (Phase I) and retrospective medical chart review (Phase II) of 199 women from 16 to 40 years of age attending a primary care clinic in metropolitan Atlanta.
Results:
Two (1%) of the 199 study participants tested positive for chlamydia during Phase I. Phase II medical chart reviews indicated that only 35% of study participants had been tested for chlamydia at least once in the previous 15 months. Three of these individuals tested positive, yielding a prevalence of 5.6%. All infections occurred in women 30 years of age or younger.
Conclusion:
The results suggest that chlamydia screening is low and that recommended guidelines are not being followed. Strategies are needed to increase the rates of screening and adherence to these guidelines to ensure that chlamydia is detected before complications occur.