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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 6(2)

The C-project: use of self-collection kits to screen for Chlamydia trachomatis in young people in a community-based health promotion project

Lynne Martin A E , Eleanor Freedman A , Leanne Burton A , Scott Rutter A , Vickie Knight A , Alfa D’Amato B , Carolyn Murray B , Jackie Drysdale B , Sophie Harvey C and Anna McNulty A D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Sydney Sexual Health Centre, Nightingale Building, Sydney & Sydney Eye Hospitals, Macquarie Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia.

B SESIAHS HIV/AIDS & Related Programs Unit, Level 2 McNevin Dickson Building, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia.

C Waverley Action for Youth Services, 63a Wairoa Avenue, Bondi, NSW 2026, Australia.

D School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of NSW, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia.

E Corresponding author. Email: lynne.martin@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au

Sexual Health 6(2) 157-162 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH08039
Submitted: 2 June 2008  Accepted: 26 March 2009   Published: 18 May 2009

Abstract

Background: The present study aimed to ascertain the acceptability to at-risk young people of self-collected urine samples as a means of testing for Chlamydia trachomatis (chlamydia); to determine the effectiveness of drop-off and outreach collection methods as a means of detecting and treating chlamydia; and to determine the rate of positive chlamydia tests in a sample of the target group. Methods: Participants requested postal testing kits from the project website, the NSW Sexual Health Infoline or at an outreach event and either returned urine samples at selected drop-off locations or directly to the researchers during active outreach events. Results: A total of 413 kits were requested – 196 (47.5%) via email, 204 (49.4%) during outreach events and nine (2.2%) via the NSW Sexual Health Infoline. A total of 195 samples (47.2% of ordered kits) were returned. Participants were less likely to return samples if they had been requested by email (odds ratio = 9.6; 95% confidence interval: 6.0–15.0) or via telephone (odds ratio = 22.0; 95% confidence interval: 2.7–181.0) compared with directly obtaining a kit at an outreach event. The number of specimens positive for chlamydia in the targeted age range was 4, giving a 3.1% positive rate (95% confidence interval: 1.0–8.0). Conclusions: This study identified that free testing kits and online communication worked well as a means of engaging young people and raising awareness of sexual health. However, the requirement to drop-off urine samples at selected locations was not well accepted.

Additional keywords: outreach, sexually transmissible infections, STI testing, youth.


Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the assistance of Damian Castles Feeney, HARP Unit Southern Network SESIAHS, Jennifer Farinella, Healthy Cities Illawarra; and Cheryl Maylin, Port Kembla Sexual Health Centre for their assistance with the C-project in Wollongong. We also wish to thank the drop-off sites – the pharmacies, youth services and GPs – for their support and commitment; Isobel Harcourt, Heng Lu and Dr Nathan Ryder at SSHC; and a special thanks to all participants. This study was funded by a Faculty Research Grant from the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW.


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