Evidence for the effectiveness of a chlamydia awareness campaign: increased population rates of chlamydia testing and detection

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a statewide campaign aimed at increasing chlamydia awareness and testing among younger people. In November 2002, a narrowcast media campaign targeting men and women aged 16-29 years was launched in Victoria, Australia. This was expanded in June 2003. Data on chlamydia testing via Medicare and chlamydia notifications, before and after the campaign, were compared to determine possible effects of the campaign on population rates of chlamydia testing and detection. During the campaign, chlamydia testing rates increased significantly for both women (P=0.04) and men (P=0.04), while testing rates before and after the campaign remained relatively stable. Although testing rates increased, only 4.3% of Victorian women and 1.9% of men aged 16-30 were tested through Medicare in 2003. The increase in chlamydia testing over the study period was closely paralleled by an increase in notification rates for chlamydia, with strong correlations between the two (r=0.97, P<0.001). In conclusion, an estimated minimum of A$70 was spent on the campaign for each additional chlamydia test performed. Testing within the framework of a national chlamydia screening programme may be a more cost-effective way of increasing chlamydia testing.

Interventions for increasing chlamydia screening in primary care: a review

“…The reasons for the overall decline in screening rates in the study are uncertain; however, they highlight the fact that screening rates may be influenced or indeed driven by external factors. For instance, overall screening rates for chlamydia may be influenced by how aware clinicians and members of the public are for the need for STI screening [15]. They are also likely to be influenced by the characteristics of the health systems in which screening is undertaken, not least by the access to screening available to people at risk for infection and by factors that affect the level of access [9].…”

Chlamyweb Study II: a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of an online offer of home-basedChlamydia trachomatissampling in France

“…Based on previous research, we expected that half of the participants in the intervention group would order the kit and at least 30% would send it back,15 and a 25% attrition rate and a 2% testing rate in the control group 16 17. To detect at least a 1% difference in the testing rate in the intervention versus control group with a power of 90% and p<0.05, we needed 5118 participants in each group 18.…”

A review of current practices to increase Chlamydia screening in the community – a consumer‐centred social marketing perspective

“…Of these 37 articles, 17 papers in primary care or hospital settings were excluded. However, two programmes which offered a choice of clinic or community‐based screening were included . A final total of 20 papers were included in the systematic review.…”