Testing commercial sex workers for chlamydia and gonorrhoea on outreach

Abstract

To assess the feasibility of testing indoor commercial sex workers (CSW) for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in an outreach setting. All CSW seen on outreach over a 6-week period were offered self-taken vulval swabs for chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing. Feasibility was assessed by all the outreach workers on a standardised proforma. Of the 93 women offered the service, 40 accepted, of whom five (12%) had not previously accessed sexual health services. The majority of women declining the service had recently attended a sexual health clinic. Three cases of chlamydia and one of gonorrhoea were diagnosed. The cost per sexually transmitted infection (STI) was £392.50. Most of this group of women were knowledgeable about sexual health and were already having regular check-ups, but a significant minority did not know how to access STI care. Offering STI testing on outreach was feasible and cost effective.