title: Unsupervised screening for chlamydia and gonorrhoea in backpacker hostels in Manly, Sydney.
abstract: Young international backpackers frequently have new sexual partners. We conducted a pilot project of unsupervised screening for chlamydia (Chlamydia trachomatis) and gonorrhoea (Neisseria gonorrhoeae) by self-collected specimens at two backpacker hostels in Manly, Sydney. The median age was 24 years for men and 23 years for women. A new sexual partner during travel was reported by 94%, of whom only 20% always using condoms. The prevalence of chlamydia was 11.9% (14.3% of 35 men and 10.2% of 49 women). No cases of gonorrhoea were detected. Half of the dispensed testing kits went missing or were tampered with, and there was spoilage of the receptacle bins, which persisted despite a redesign to a more secure and locked box. While populations such as young backpackers may be a priority group for sexually transmissible infection screening, we advise caution for projects contemplating an unsupervised model.
authors.affiliation: North Shore Sexual Health Service, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia.
authors.forename: Stephen C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Brooke
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shepherd
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wiig
authors.forename: Iain
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kaan
mesh_terms: D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners; D014195:Travel; D055815:Young Adult