Open AccessThere’s No Place Like Home: First-Year Use of the “I Know” Home Testing Program for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea
Author(s) -
Harlan Rotblatt,
John Harold Estrada Montoya,
Aaron Plant,
Sarah Guerry,
Peter R. Kerndt
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.2012.301010
Subject(s) - gonorrhea , chlamydia , chlamydia trachomatis , neisseria gonorrhoeae , medicine , public health , family medicine , sexually transmitted disease , test (biology) , environmental health , gerontology , gynecology , immunology , nursing , syphilis , biology , paleontology , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , microbiology and biotechnology
In response to high chlamydia and gonorrhea morbidity, particularly among young African American and Latina women, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health launched a free home testing program for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The primary objectives were to increase chlamydia and gonorrhea testing by removing key barriers and to motivate young women to screen routinely for these sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The program was promoted with a social marketing campaign urging women to order home collection kits online or by telephone. In the program's first year, 2927 kits were ordered and 1543 testable specimens returned; 131 women (8.5%) had a positive test result. The strong response, high morbidity, and program scalability indicated strong potential as a new tool for STD control.