title: Screening high-risk adolescent males for Chlamydia trachomatis infection. Obtaining urine specimens in the field.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Reported case data suggest that few men are being tested for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection (female:male reported case ratio is > 5:1) partially because men seek preventive health services less frequently than women and, until recently, obtaining a CT specimen from men required a urethral swab, which has low patient acceptability. A study was conducted in San Diego, CA, to determine whether urine specimens could be obtained from high-risk teen males in the field using a peer teen outreach approach.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Identify teen males infected with CT and provide treatment and partner management services.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prevalence survey of 261 teen males and a program cost evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the 6.5-month study period (Dec 15, 1995 to June 30, 1996) an estimated 1,860 teen males were approached and 261 submitted a urine specimen; 16 (6.1%) were positive by polymerase chain reaction. All positive males were treated with azithromycin, 1 gm, in the field, and 9 female sex partners were treated, 7 of whom were CT positive. The cost per specimen obtained and per CT infection identified was $103 and $1,677, respectively. The annual cost for adding a peer teen outreach service to an existing STD program using existing staff and adding 1.2 full-time equivalents of outreach time is approximately $25,000.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Peer teen outreach and in-field collection of urine specimens appear to be an acceptable alternative for screening teen males for CT and should be further evaluated in other communities.
authors.affiliation: Division of STD Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Gunn
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Podschun
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Hovell
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Farshy
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Greenspan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000652:urine; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male