title: There's no place like home: first-year use of the "I Know" home testing program for chlamydia and gonorrhea.
abstract: In response to high chlamydia and gonorrhea morbidity, particularly among young African American and Latina women, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health launched a free home testing program for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The primary objectives were to increase chlamydia and gonorrhea testing by removing key barriers and to motivate young women to screen routinely for these sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The program was promoted with a social marketing campaign urging women to order home collection kits online or by telephone. In the program's first year, 2927 kits were ordered and 1543 testable specimens returned; 131 women (8.5%) had a positive test result. The strong response, high morbidity, and program scalability indicated strong potential as a new tool for STD control.
authors: Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Division of HIV & STD Programs, 2615 South Grand Ave, Room 500, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA. hrotblatt@ph.lacounty.gov
authors: Harlan
authors: H
authors: Rotblatt
authors: Jorge A
authors: JA
authors: Montoya
authors: Aaron
authors: A
authors: Plant
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Guerry
authors: Peter R
authors: PR
authors: Kerndt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D002648:Child; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles / Q000453:epidemiology; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*