Family Practice Vol. 21, No. 2, 223-224
Family Practice Vol. 21, No. 2 © Oxford University Press 2004, all rights reserved.
Correspondence |
Feasibility of recruiting in a student bar for a trial of chlamydia screening in young women
Department of General Practice and Primary Care, St. George's Hospital Medical School, Hunter Wing, Ganmer Terrace, London SW17 ORE, UK
E-mail: oakeshot{at}sghms.ac.uk
There has only been one trial of chlamydia screening to prevent pelvic inflammatory disease,1 and this has been widely criticized.2–4 Since the prevalence of chlamydial infection in women attending general practices tends to be low,5–7 and recruiting in primary care is often problematic, we decided to examine the feasibility of recruiting young women in a student bar.
With the agreement of the President of the Students' Union, the Principal of the university and the college barman, we put up posters in the bar and gave out patient information sheets inviting women to take part in a feasibility study of chlamydia screening. Women considering taking part were asked to come to a table where the researchers answered any queries about the study. Those agreeing to participate signed a consent form giving their mobile number, address and e-mail, and the name of their GP. They then went into the lavatories to provide a self-administered vaginal swab. Finally they were asked to complete a confidential questionnaire on risk factors for chlamydial infection, i.e. age, ethnicity, number of sexual partners and smoking; and possible symptoms, i.e. intermenstrual bleeding, abnormal vaginal discharge or pelvic discomfort.
During the 90 min lunch period, 45 patient leaflets were given out and 25 female students were recruited. Of 16 who declined to take part, five had never been sexually active, seven were menstruating and four did not give a reason. Three further students offered to take part, but no more specimen packs were available. All the questionnaires were completed adequately. None of the swabs were positive for chlamydia by polymerase chain reaction assay.
The study showed that it is relatively simple to recruit in a student bar. However, those women recruited may have been at low risk of chlamydial infection since they were all involved in higher education which is known to be associated with later age of first sexual intercourse.8 Research in the real world is rarely easy!
References
1 Scholes D, Stergachis A, Heidrich F, Andrilla H, Holmes K, Stamm W. Prevention of pelvic inflammatory disease by screening for cervical chlamydia infection. N Engl J Med 1996; 334: 1362–1326.
2 Abter E, Mahmud M. Screening for chlamydia to prevent pelvic inflammatory disease. N Engl J Med 1996; 335: 1531.
3 Sellors J, Paavonen J. Screening to prevent pelvic inflammatory disease. N Engl J Med 1996; 335: 1531–1532.
4 Pittrof R. Screening for chlamydia to prevent pelvic inflammatory disease. N Engl J Med 1996; 335: 1532.[Medline]
5 Grun L, Tassano-Smith J, Carder C et al. Comparison of two methods of screening for genital chlamydial infection in women attending in general practice: cross sectional survey. Br Med J 1997; 315: 226–230.
6 Oakeshott P, Kerry S, Hay S, Hay P. Opportunistic screening for chlamydial infection at time of cervical smear testing in general practice: prevalence study. Br Med J 1998; 316: 351–352.
7 Oakeshott P, Hay P, Hay S et al. Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in early pregnancy using self-administered vaginal swabs and first pass urines: a cross sectional community based survey. Br J Gen Pract 2002; 52: 830–832.[Medline]
8 Johnson AM, Wadsworth J, Wellings K. Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles London: Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1994.
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