Value of self-reportable screening criteria to identify asymptomatic individuals in the general population for urogential Chlamydia trachomatis infection screening

Clin Infect Dis. 2003 Apr 1;36(7):837-44. doi: 10.1086/368188. Epub 2003 Mar 18.

Abstract

Submission of samples from the home allows screening for Chlamydia trachomatis without preceding professional assessment of clinical risk factors. Therefore, a validation of self-reportable information for use as selective screening criteria is needed. We asked a total of 1175 women and 1033 men who participated in an in-home sampling screening study to provide information on behavior and sociodemographic characteristics. In a multivariate model, selective screening criteria were developed on the basis of information from a random part of the tested population (development group), and the validity was assessed for the remaining part of the tested population (validation group). To find all infections, 95% of the subjects had to be screened, and screening 63% of them would have detected 86% of infections. Low predictive values were found when selective screening criteria from other studies were assessed. Selective screening by means of in-home sampling strategies among men and women aged 21-23 years cannot be recommended in the area studied.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Chlamydia Infections / epidemiology*
  • Chlamydia trachomatis*
  • Female
  • Female Urogenital Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Male Urogenital Diseases*
  • Mass Screening
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Surveys and Questionnaires