Effectiveness of a mass media campaign to recruit young adults for testing of Chlamydia trachomatis by use of home obtained and mailed samples.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of a structured information campaign aiming to recruit young adults for a Chlamydia trachomatis test by use of a non-invasive, home obtained and mailed sample.


METHODS
All individuals aged 21-23 living in Aarhus county, Denmark (30 000 young adults) were offered a mailed home sampling test for C trachomatis as part of a structured 14 week information campaign on chlamydia. The kit for home sampling could be requested by leaving a message on an answering machine or through a website on the internet.


RESULTS
During the campaign 119 of 15 000 women (0.8%) and 64 of 15 000 men (0.4%) were tested. Prevalence of infection was 8.4% (10/119) and 7.8% (5/64) in females and males, respectively. Four infections in women (4/10=40%) and three infections in men (3/5=60%) were asymptomatic.


CONCLUSIONS
The mass media campaign had only a limited effect, and there is a need for more effective outreach programmes to recruit young asymptomatic individuals for C trachomatis testing.
Andersen
B
B
Research Unit and Department for General Practice, Vennelyst Boulevard 6, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. duchand@dadlnet.dk
Østergaard
L
L
Møller
J K
JK
Olesen
F
F
D000328:Adult; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods