title: Reattendance and chlamydia retesting rates at 12 months among young people attending Australian general practice clinics 2007-10: a longitudinal study.
abstract: Background Clinical guidelines commonly recommend annual chlamydia (Chlamydia trachomatis) testing in young people. General practice (GP) clinics can play an important role in annual testing, as a high proportion of young people attend these clinics annually; however, little is known about the timing of attendance and testing in this setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Australian Collaboration for Coordinated Enhanced Sentinel Surveillance of Sexually Transmitted Infections and Blood-Borne Viruses system extracted consultation and pathology data on 16-29-year-olds attending 25 GP clinics in 2007-10. We calculated the proportion of individuals with an initial negative test that reattended at 12 months (±3 months) and retested at 12 months (±3 months). Individuals with an initial positive test were excluded, as guidelines recommend retesting at 3 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 3852 individuals who had an initial negative test, 2201 (57.1%) reattended at ~12 months; reattendance was higher among females (60.8%) than males (44.1%; P<0.001) and higher among 16-19-year-olds (64.2%) than 25-29-year-olds (50.8%; P<0.001). Of 2201 individuals who reattended at 12 months, 377 had a chlamydia test (retesting rate of 9.8%); retesting was higher among females (10.8%) than males (6.1%; P<0.01) and higher among 16-19-year-olds (13.3%) than 25-29-year-olds (7.5%; P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although over half of young people reattended their GP clinic ~1 year after a negative chlamydia baseline test, only 9.8% were retested at this visit. Strategies are needed to promote regular attendance and testing to both patients and clinicians.
authors: Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia.
authors: Emma R
authors: ER
authors: Weaver
authors: Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia.
authors: Anna L
authors: AL
authors: Bowring
authors: Kirby Institute, Wallace Wurth Building, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors: Rebecca
authors: R
authors: Guy
authors: Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia.
authors: Caroline
authors: C
authors: van Gemert
authors: Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, 207 Bouverie Street, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Vic. 3010, Australia.
authors: Jane S
authors: JS
authors: Hocking
authors: Health Informatics Unit, Rural Health Academic Centre, 49 Graham Street, Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne, Shepparton, Vic. 3630, Australia.
authors: Douglas I
authors: DI
authors: Boyle
authors: Hunter New England Population Health, Locked bag 10, Wallsend, NSW 2287, Australia.
authors: Tony
authors: T
authors: Merritt
authors: General Practice and Rural Medicine, Mackay Base Hospital, Bridge Road, James Cook University, Mackay, Qld 4740, Australia.
authors: Clare
authors: C
authors: Heal
authors: General Practice and Primary Health Care Academic Centre, 200 Berkeley Street, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Vic. 3053, Australia.
authors: Phyllis M
authors: PM
authors: Lau
authors: Kirby Institute, Wallace Wurth Building, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors: Basil
authors: B
authors: Donovan
authors: Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia.
authors: Margaret E
authors: ME
authors: Hellard