title: Self-reported risk factors for chlamydia: a survey of pharmacy-based emergency contraception consumers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the self-reported risk factors for Chlamydia trachomatis in pharmacy-based emergency contraception (EC) consumers, evaluate their pharmacy experience and determine whether they would be willing to accept a chlamydia test from the pharmacy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey for women to complete after their EC consultation was developed from themes identified in a literature search. Nineteen pharmacies in the Perth metropolitan region and 13 pharmacies in rural, regional and remote Western Australia (WA) participated in this study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From the 113 surveys completed (n = 75 from Perth metropolitan; n = 38 from rural, regional and remote WA), 85% of respondents were between 16 and 29 years of age and all (100%) of the women had inconsistent barrier contraception. Almost all (94%) of the women had at least two, and nearly half (47%) had at least three out of the four risk factors for chlamydia. Nearly 70% of the women found it very easy/easy to access a pharmacy and felt very comfortable/comfortable discussing EC with the pharmacist. Significantly more women said they would be willing to accept a chlamydia test from a rural, regional and remote WA pharmacy than from a Perth metropolitan pharmacy (P = 0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pharmacy-based EC consumers are at high risk of chlamydia and would be willing to accept a chlamydia test from the pharmacy. There is an urgent need to re-orientate health services in Australia so that all EC consumers, including those obtaining EC from pharmacies, have the opportunity to be tested for chlamydia.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacy, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Sajni
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gudka
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bourdin
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.forename: Atefeh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eshghabadi
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Everett
authors.forename: Rhonda M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Clifford
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services; D044363:Contraception, Postcoital; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D057566:Self Report; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: community pharmacy; health promotion; patient safety; risk assessment; sexual health