The elephant never forgets; piloting a chlamydia and gonorrhea retesting reminder postcard in an STD clinic setting

Rachel Paneth-Pollak; Ellen J Klingler; Susan Blank; Julia A Schillinger

doi:10.1097/OLQ.0b013e3181cab281

The elephant never forgets; piloting a chlamydia and gonorrhea retesting reminder postcard in an STD clinic setting

Sex Transm Dis. 2010 Jun;37(6):365-8. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0b013e3181cab281.

Authors

Rachel Paneth-Pollak¹, Ellen J Klingler, Susan Blank, Julia A Schillinger

Affiliation

¹ NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of STD Control, New York, NY, USA. panethpo@msu.edu

PMID: 20473247
DOI: 10.1097/OLQ.0b013e3181cab281

Abstract

We examined the number and proportion of persons retesting and reinfected with Chlamydia and/or gonorrhea 3 to 4 months after initial infection in one New York City sexually transmitted disease clinic using a reminder postcard compared to clinics not using this reminder. Retesting increased; however, the proportion reinfected was lower during the intervention.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Ambulatory Care Facilities*
Chlamydia Infections / diagnosis*
Chlamydia Infections / microbiology
Chlamydia Infections / prevention & control
Chlamydia trachomatis
Female
Gonorrhea / diagnosis*
Gonorrhea / microbiology
Gonorrhea / prevention & control
Humans
Male
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
New York City
Postal Service*
Recurrence
Reminder Systems / statistics & numerical data*
Sexually Transmitted Diseases / diagnosis*
Sexually Transmitted Diseases / microbiology
Sexually Transmitted Diseases / prevention & control