title: The role of reinfection and partner notification in the efficacy of Chlamydia screening programs.
abstract: Repeated Chlamydia trachomatis infections after treatment are common. One reason is reinfection from untreated partners in ongoing sexual partnerships. Mathematical models that are used to predict the impact of screening on reducing chlamydia prevalence often do not incorporate reinfection and might overestimate the expected impact. We describe a pair compartmental model that explicitly incorporates sexual partnership duration and reinfection. The pair model predicts a weaker impact of screening when compared directly with a model that does not accommodate partnerships. Effective management of sex partners to prevent reinfection might need to be strengthened in chlamydia control programs.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. jheijne@ispm.unibe.ch
authors.forename: Janneke C M
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Heijne
authors.forename: Christian L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Althaus
authors.forename: Sereina A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Herzog
authors.forename: Mirjam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kretzschmar
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Low
mesh_terms: D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission*; D016358:Contact Tracing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners