Can E-Technology Through the Internet be Used as a New Tool to Address the Chlamydia trachomatis Epidemic by Home Sampling and Vaginal Swabs?

Gaydos, Charlotte A.; Barnes, Mathilda; Aumakhan, Bulbul; Quinn, Nicole; Agreda, Patricia; Whittle, Pamela; Hogan, Terry

doi:10.1097/olq.0b013e3181a7482f

Cited by 76 publications

(108 citation statements)

References 32 publications

(23 reference statements)

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“…Postal testing kits or even Internet-based screening program have been also introduced and evaluated for increasing the use of screening programs [129][130][131][132][133]. Although such strategies did not reduce re-infection rates in women with chlamydial infections as compared to patient referral, such an approach certainly oVers other advantages such as simplicity and low cost [129], and might open new avenues for targeting otherwise diYcult to access high-risk populations (i.e., young people, and geographically and socially isolated populations) [129][130][131][133][134][135].…”

Section: New Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 98%

Female genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection: where are we heading?

Mylonas

2012

Arch Gynecol Obstet

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A routine screening for young women and screening during pregnancy is recommended in several countries. However, additional prospective studies of the effectiveness of chlamydia screening are warranted and might be feasible within established screening programs. Moreover, the transition from cervicitis to infertility should be also evaluated in future controlled studies to underline the existing evidence. Additionally, there is an urgent need to educate and inform health-care providers about implementation of screening programs to reduce the spread of chlamydial infection. Moreover, awareness and use of screening programs by the public is needed, which requires informational campaigns for the general public using different media. For improved screening strategies and public awareness, novel approaches have to be developed and evaluated. Finally, guidelines should be actively disseminated to all medical practitioners to increase their use in daily practice. Although the major socioeconomic and public health concerns of C. trachomatis infection are recognized, several considerations and additional measures for addressing this increasingly urgent health problem remain.

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Section: New Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 98%

Female genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection: where are we heading?

Mylonas

2012

Arch Gynecol Obstet

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“…Few U.S. studies report information about these issues, 44,55 though one study of an online, homebased testing program found that 40% of participants who returned specimens for testing took the initiative to call for results. 35 In that study, staff needed to contact the remaining individuals to communicate test results, a step that can be labor-intensive and require heightened attention to confidentiality. 55 However, research suggests that the vast majority of individuals who test positive do follow up and receive their results; the median follow-up across 11 studies was 96% (range, 67-100%).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…29 Previous research examining the acceptability of self-collected samples in clinic settings has shown that men and women, even adolescents, find the tests acceptable and easy to perform; moreover, many young women prefer this approach over pelvic examinations. [31][32][33][34][35] Self-collecting samples opens up opportunities for STD testing outside of traditional settings. Self-collection that can be performed at home (i.e., home-based testing) allows individuals to collect specimens privately, at a time and place that is convenient for them, and then mail the specimen to a doctor or lab for testing.…”

Section: Hhs Public Accessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acceptability of Home-Based Chlamydia And Gonorrhea Testing Among a National Sample Of Sexual Minority Young Adults

McRee¹,

Esber

Reiter

2015

Perspect Sex Repro H

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CONTEXT-STDs are common among older adolescents and young adults; hence, STD screening is a public health priority. Home-based STD testing could be a strategy to improve screening rates, particularly among at-risk populations, including sexual minority (i.e., nonheterosexual) young adults.METHODS-Data were collected from a national sample of 971 sexual minority young adults aged 18-26 through an online survey in the fall of 2013. Logistic regression analyses identified associations between respondents' characteristics and their willingness to use a home-based test for chlamydia and gonorrhea.RESULTS-A greater proportion of men than of women were willing to use a home-based STD test (81% vs. 68%). Willingness was more likely among gay than among bisexual men, among men insured through their parents than among the uninsured and among those who had had two or more sexual partners in the past year than among those who had had fewer (adjusted odds ratios, 2.0-2.2). Among men, students were less likely than the employed to report willingness for homebased testing (0.4). Among women, willingness was more likely among those who reported at least two partners in the past year than among those who reported fewer (1.6). Overall, respondents' most common concerns about home-based STD testing regarded test accuracy, their ability to do the test correctly and their preference to see a doctor for testing.CONCLUSIONS-Home-based STD testing may be a promising strategy for screening sexual minority young adults; understanding correlates of willingness and young adults' concerns may help inform self-testing programs.Bacterial STDs, including chlamydia and gonorrhea, represent a significant public health problem, as almost two million cases are reported each year in the United States. 1 This Author contact: almcree@cph.osu.edu. Low screening rates point to the need for novel approaches to increase STD testing, and selftesting may be an acceptable and effective strategy. Previous research suggests that low levels of testing may be due to a number of reasons, including low levels of knowledge about STDs and available services; misperceptions of risk; wait times for appointments; cost; shame or unwillingness to disclose risky sexual behavior to a health care provider; discrimination; and fear regarding specimen collection. 26,27 Self-testing may help address many of these barriers and concerns, as it typically involves a patient's collecting a specimen, through either a swab (vaginal, urethral or rectal) or a sample of first-void urine. HHS Public AccessThe self-collection of samples has been found to be a valid and reliable method of detecting chlamydia and gonorrhea, and it compares well with collection by clinicians. [28][29][30] For example, among women, chlamydia testing using self-collected vaginal swabs has been found to be more sensitive than that using clinician-collected endocervical swabs (97% vs. 88%) and to have equal specificity (99.9% vs. 100%). 30 Among men who have sex with men, reports of sensitivity and spec...

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“…42 Internet-based interventions to promote chlamydia screening with selfcollected vaginal swab specimens in various nonclinical settings are also being evaluated. 43,44 …”

Section: Clinical Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Screening for Nonviral Sexually Transmitted Infections in Adolescents and Young Adults

Murray¹,

Braverman²,

Adelman³

et al. 2014

Pediatrics

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Prevalence rates of many sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are highest among adolescents. If nonviral STIs are detected early, they can be treated, transmission to others can be eliminated, and sequelae can be averted. The US Preventive Services Task Force and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have published chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis screening guidelines that recommend screening those at risk on the basis of epidemiologic and clinical outcomes data. This policy statement specifically focuses on these curable, nonviral STIs and reviews the evidence for nonviral STI screening in adolescents, communicates the value of screening, and outlines recommendations for routine nonviral STI screening of adolescents. Pediatrics 2014;134:e302-e311 EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT NONVIRAL STI SCREENINGThe goal of sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening is to identify and treat individuals with treatable infections, reduce transmission to others, avoid or minimize long-term consequences, identify other exposed and potentially infected individuals, and decrease the prevalence of infection in a community. Healthy People 2020 objectives for sexually transmitted diseases 1 include items that address screening for chlamydia in sexually active females younger than 25 years and set targets for decreased rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis in specific populations. The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an independent panel of prevention and evidence-based medicine experts, has published chlamydia, 2 gonorrhea, 3 and syphilis 4,5 screening guidelines that recommend screening those at risk on the basis of epidemiologic and clinical outcomes data. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes evidence-based STI screening recommendations for specific at-risk populations that are not addressed by the USPSTF but that pose public health challenges for disease prevention and control. 6-8 Major professional medical organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Family Physicians, have also published STI screening guidelines for specific populations. 7-10 The American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) Bright Futures guidelines for health supervision recommend chlamydia and gonorrhea screening as appropriate for the patient population and the clinical setting. 11 Recent AAP clinical reports addressing gynecologic examinations and male reproductive and sexual health care discuss clinic issues and provider COMMITTEE ON ADOLESCENCE and SOCIETY FOR ADOLESCENT HEALTH AND MEDICINE

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Can E-Technology Through the Internet be Used as a New Tool to Address the Chlamydia trachomatis Epidemic by Home Sampling and Vaginal Swabs?

Cited by 76 publications

References 32 publications

Female genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection: where are we heading?

Female genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection: where are we heading?

Acceptability of Home-Based Chlamydia And Gonorrhea Testing Among a National Sample Of Sexual Minority Young Adults

Screening for Nonviral Sexually Transmitted Infections in Adolescents and Young Adults

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