The Chief Medical Officer’s (CMO’s) Advisory Group on Chlamydia trachomatis published its report in 1998, and a national screening program is anticipated. Meanwhile, the Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) reports that the number of positive diagnoses of genital chlamydia continued to rise throughout the last decade.
Researchers conducted this study to consider Gloucestershire GPs to detect genital chlamydia infections, and based on the findings, to help develop local guidelines and sexual health service provision.
The study design was a questionnaire survey. The study setting was a primary care groups within a single English county.
The study methods are a questionnaire survey was sent to GPs. Responses were handled anonymously and pooled for analysis.
In women, opportunistic screening is not routinely performed, and the rate of diagnostic testing varies with the presentation. The quality of testing is comparatively lower in men, and over 50% of GPs refer symptomatic men directly to a GUM clinic. Fewer than 50% of respondents always or usually forward details to GUM for contact tracing.
The study concluded that a proportion of GPs performs opportunistic screening, but there is scope for more screening in higher-risk groups. There is scope to increase the number of tests for chlamydia infection in patients presenting with symptoms.
Reference: https://srh.bmj.com/content/28/3/145
