The contribution of a urine-based jail screening program to citywide male Chlamydia and gonorrhea case rates in New York City.
BACKGROUND
With noninvasive specimen types, males can be more easily screened for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections. Long-standing universal screening of males attending New York City (NYC) sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinics has yielded a substantial number of chlamydia cases. In 2005, screening was expanding to another large group at high risk for STD: males </=35 years old entering 6 adult jails.


METHODS
Surveillance data and data from laboratory practice surveys were examined to evaluate changes in the reported burden of chlamydia and gonorrhea in NYC males over time. Citywide data for male chlamydia and gonorrhea cases were analyzed by report year and provider type (STD clinic, adult jail, juvenile detention, private-sector provider) from 2004 through 2006.


RESULTS
In the first year of the adult jail screening program, the number of chlamydia cases among males </=35 years old reported from the jails increased by 1636%, surpassing all other providers in numbers of cases contributed, and increasing the citywide reported male chlamydia case rate by 59%. Adult jails reported 40% more cases than all 10 NYC public STD clinics combined. In 2006, adult jails continued to contribute a similar proportion to citywide male chlamydia case reports. In the first year of the jail screening program, there was an approximately 10-fold increase in the number of gonorrhea cases reported from jails.


CONCLUSIONS
Young men in adult jails have a large burden of chlamydial infection. Correctional screening and treatment programs present an important opportunity to improve the health of inmates and interrupt disease transmission.
Pathela
Preeti
P
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York, USA. ppathela@health.nyc.gov
Hennessy
Robin R
RR
Blank
Susan
S
Parvez
Farah
F
Franklin
Woodman
W
Schillinger
Julia A
JA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D011329:Prisoners; D011330:Prisons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014556:Urine / Q000382:microbiology*; D055815:Young Adult