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Chlamydia screening in Northamptonshire

By Lisa Knight, Chlamydia Lead Specialist

Northamptonshire’s Chlamydia Screening Team is seeing a rise in the number of young pregnant women being tested positive for Chlamydia - a serious sexually transmitted infection. The infection is easily treated but many people with Chlamydia are not aware they have it unless they get tested.

Chlamydia is:

SERIOUS - 15-24-year-olds make up 65% of the diagnoses. Both sexes can be affected, which can cause infertility.
SILENT - It’s symptom-free in up to 80% of cases.
TREATABLE - The treatment is easy and FREE.

FREE Chlamydia kits, which are simple urine tests, are offered to under 25's in many community-based sites including GP’s, Pharmacists and Children’s Centres.

The rise in positive diagnoses is related to increased Midwife screening. During 2010/11 the results of Midwife screening showed a 10-11% positivity - that's 4% higher than the national average.

Interestingly, National Antenatal Screening Guidelines do not recommend routine testing of Chlamydia by Midwives, only signposting to their local Chlamydia screening service. Fortunately, Midwifery Services in Northamptonshire support the screening programme and pregnant women in the 15-24 age group can easily access screening and be treated, if needed, preventing the infection being passed to their child.

The Chlamydia infection can be passed from a Chlamydia-positive mother to her child through contact with cervical secretions during birth:

Up to 50% babies get eye problems (conjunctivitis) within 10 days of birth
Up to 20% babies get Chlamydial pneumonia at 2-3 weeks old
Long term complications include Ectopic pregnancies and infertility

FREE postal kit tests can also be ordered online via www.gettalkinggettested.com or shortly from the Facebook page 'get tested Northants'.

For more information contact the:

Chlamydia Screening Office
Far Cotton REC Centre
Towcester Road
Northampton