Estimating Chlamydia Screening Rates by Using Reported Sexually Transmitted Disease Tests for Sexually Active Women Aged 16 to 25 Years in the United States

Abstract

The objective of this study was to estimate Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) screening rates by using reported sexually transmitted disease (STD) tests for sexually active women aged 16 to 25 years in the U.S. general population. We analyzed data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth. Women were classified as sexually active if they reported having at least one male sex partner in the 12 months before the interview date. Women were classified as tested if they reported being tested for STDs by a healthcare provider in the preceding 12 months. Of 2,563 sampled women aged 16 to 25 years, 75% were estimated to be sexually active. Of sexually active women, 42% reported they had been tested for STDs and 73% reported they had received Pap smears or pelvic examinations in the preceding 12 months. Even if all women tested for STDs were screened for CT, only 42% of sexually active women aged 16 to 25 years would have been screened for CT. CT screening rates could be significantly increased if CT tests were performed when women had Pap smears or pelvic examinations, because most sexually active women have routine Pap smears or pelvic examinations.