title: Chlamydia among Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people attending sexual health services, general practices and Aboriginal community controlled health services.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chlamydia infections are notified at much higher rates in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people compared to non-Indigenous people. The Australian Collaboration Chlamydia Enhanced Sentinel Surveillance System (ACCESS) was established to complement population-based surveillance.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe patient demographics, completeness of recording of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander ('Aboriginal') status, chlamydia testing rates and positivity rates from the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHSs), General Practice (GP) clinics and Sexual Health Services (SHSs) networks in ACCESS during 2009. Data were extracted from electronic medical records of each participating health service for consultations with patients aged 16-29 years and for chlamydia testing and positivity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data were included from 16-29 year olds attending six ACCHSs (n = 4,950); 22 SHSs (n = 20,691) and 25 GP clinics (n = 34,462). Aboriginal status was unknown for 79.3% of patients attending GP clinics, 4.5% attending SHSs and 3.8% of patients attending ACCHSs. Chlamydia testing rates among Aboriginal patients were 19.8% (95%CI:18.6%-21.0%) at ACCHSs, 75.5% (95% CI:72.5%-78.4%) at SHSs and 4.3% (95% CI: 2.6%-6.6%) at GP clinics. Positivity rates were highest in Aboriginal patients tested at SHSs at 22.7% (95% CI:19.5%-26.2%), followed by 15.8% (95% CI:3.8%-43.4%) at GP clinics and 8.6% at ACCHSs (95% CI:7.9%-12.4%). This compared with non-Indigenous patients positivity rates at SHSs of 12.7% (95% CI:12.2-13.2%); 8.6% (7.2%-11.3%) at GP clinics and 11.3% at ACCHSs (95% CI:15.4%-24.9%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher chlamydia positivity in Aboriginal people across a range of clinical services is reflected in national notification data. Targeted efforts are required to improve testing rates in primary care services; to improve identification of Aboriginal patients in mainstream services such as GP clinics; and to better engage with young Aboriginal Australians.
authors: Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Alice Springs 0871 NT, Australia. James.Ward@bakeridi.edu.au.
authors: James
authors: J
authors: Ward
authors: Jane
authors: J
authors: Goller
authors: Hammad
authors: H
authors: Ali
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Bowring
authors: Sophia
authors: S
authors: Couzos
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Saunders
authors: Phyllis
authors: P
authors: Yau
authors: John M
authors: JM
authors: Kaldor
authors: Margaret
authors: M
authors: Hellard
authors: Rebecca J
authors: RJ
authors: Guy
authors: Basil
authors: B
authors: Donovan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015231:Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology*