title: Improving public health surveillance of chlamydia: analysis of population-level positivity trends.
abstract: Background Chlamydia remains Australia's most frequently notified communicable disease; however, interpretation of notification data is difficult without knowledge of testing practices. This study examined the value of reporting positivity trends.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tasmanian population-level chlamydia laboratory tests and notification data from 2001 to 2010 were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Notifications, tests and positivity increased, most significantly in males and females aged 15-29 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Analysis of chlamydia positivity trends can inform the development, monitoring and evaluation of prevention and control activities and improves the interpretation of notification trends. After allowing for testing effort, an increase in chlamydia infections in young people was found.
authors.affiliation: Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance, Health Protection Branch, Department of Health and Human Services, 50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Vic. 3000, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stephens
authors.affiliation: Communicable Diseases Prevention Unit, Department of Health and Human Services, 25 Argyle Street, Hobart, Tas. 7000, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Coleman
authors.affiliation: Population Health, Department of Health and Human Services, 25 Argyle Street, Hobart, Tas. 7000, Australia.
authors.forename: Kelly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.affiliation: Gold Coast Health and Hospital Services, Queensland Health, 2019 Gold Coast Highway, Miami, Qld 4220, Australia.
authors.forename: Maree
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Sullivan
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart, Tas. 7000, Australia.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Venn