Screening sexually active adolescents for Chlamydia trachomatis: what about the boys?
OBJECTIVE
We sought to determine the effectiveness of a systems-based intervention designed to increase Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) screening among adolescent boys.


METHODS
An intervention aimed at increasing CT screening among adolescent girls was extended to adolescent boys (14-18 years). Ten pediatric clinics in a health maintenance organization with an ethnically diverse population were randomized. Experimental clinics participated in a clinical practice improvement intervention; control clinics received traditional information on screening.


RESULTS
The intervention significantly increased CT screening at the experimental sites from 0% (baseline) to 60% (18-month posttest); control sites evidenced a change only from 0% to 5%. The overall prevalence of CT was 4%.


CONCLUSIONS
Although routine CT screening is currently recommended only for young sexually active women, the present results show that screening interventions can be successful in the case of adolescent boys, among whom CT is a moderate problem.
Tebb
Kathleen P
KP
School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Medicine, University of California-San Francisco, Box 0503, San Francisco, CA 94143-0503, USA. tebb@itsa.ucsf.edu
Pantell
Robert H
RH
Wibbelsman
Charles J
CJ
Neuhaus
John M
JM
Tipton
Ann C
AC
Pecson
Samantha C
SC
Pai-Dhungat
Meaghan
M
Ko
Timothy H
TH
Shafer
Mary-Ann B
MA
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002140:California; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008571:Men / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration