You are here

Article Text

Article menu

Download PDFPDF

Poster Presentations
Category: Epidemiology and partner notification
P65 Sexual behaviour in the time period between being tested for chlamydia and receiving test result and treatment
Free
  1. Emma Harding-Esch1,
  2. Ellie Sherrard-Smith1,
  3. Sebastian Suarez Fuller1,
  4. Ana Harb1,
  5. Martina Furegato1,
  6. Catherine Mercer2,
  7. S Tariq Sadiq8,
  8. Rebecca Howell-Jones4,
  9. Anthony Nardone1,
  10. Pam Gates5,
  11. Amy Pearce10,
  12. Frances Keane10,
  13. Helen Colver6,
  14. Achyuta Nori7,
  15. Claire Dewsnap8,
  16. Rebecca Schatzberger8,
  17. Claudia Estcourt9,
  18. Suba Dakshina9,
  19. Catherine Dakshina1,
  20. Catherine Lowndes1
  1. 1Public Health England, London, UK
  2. 2University College London, London, UK
  3. 3St George’s, University of London, London, UK
  4. 4Oxford School of Public Health, Oxford, UK
  5. 5Royal Cornwall Hospital NHS Trust, Cornwall, UK
  6. 6University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK
  7. 7St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
  8. 8Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK
  9. 9Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
  10. 10Cornwall Sexual Health Service RCHT Clinic Team, Cornwall, UK

Abstract

Background/introduction There is a lack of data on the sexual behaviour of patients between being tested for chlamydia, receiving the test result, and being treated. This time-period may be important in the transmission of chlamydia, as infection could continue to be spread to sexual partners whilst awaiting the test result and treatment.

Aim(s)/objectives To investigate the sexual behaviours of patients between the time of being tested for chlamydia and receiving test result and treatment in order to investigate the benefits that a point-of-care test (POCT) might bring to clinical practice.

Methods We conducted a cross-sectional clinical audit of GUM clinic attendees. Clinic staff conducted a notes review of patients returning for chlamydia treatment following a positive chlamydia test result, and of age- and sex-matched chlamydia negatives. The data also served as an audit for the GUM clinics, following BASHH guidelines.

Results Five of nine GUM clinics approached participated, in July–December 2014. Data from 775 patients were included in analyses, 365 of whom were chlamydia-positive. Males with 2–4 partners, and those who reported never using a condom, were more likely to be chlamydia positive. For 21/143 (14.7%) positive patients who provided data, last new sexual contact was in the period between test and treatment. Data were missing on condom use (22%) and recent new partners (81%).

Discussion/conclusion Patients continue to form new sexual partnerships whilst awaiting chlamydia test results, allowing for the possibility of infecting new sexual partners. POCTs which remove the test to treatment delay could prevent this onward transmission.

https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2015-052126.108

Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.