| Friday, 10 February 2006 | |
|
Stoate calls for Chlamydia screening programme to place greater emphasis on men Dartford MP, Dr Howard Stoate, has called on the Government to ensure that specific measures to target men are included in the new National Chlamydia Screening Programme. Speaking in a debate in Westminster Hall yesterday the MP said:“Chlamydia is now the commonest sexually transmitted infection in the UK, with nearly 90,000 new cases in 2004. It predominantly affects young people; 68% of diagnoses in 2004 were of people under 25. Data indicate, rather alarmingly, that approximately 10% of young women and men between 16 and 25 in this country are infected with chlamydia.” “The problem with chlamydia is that it is asymptomatic in 70% of women and 50% of men, so it often goes undiagnosed. I am pleased that the Government have agreed to roll out the national chlamydia screening programme nationwide by April 2006, but its effectiveness will depend on its success in encouraging men to come forward for testing. It would be unfortunate in the extreme if the programme were to succeed in testing more women, only for them to be reinfected by men shortly afterwards. Young men generally attend health services far less frequently than young women. People who have been involved in the health services, in particular, will know that young men are a difficult target to reach, and that it is difficult to carry out opportunistic screening of young men.” “The early results of the screening programme show that a step change is needed in testing men for chlamydia. The annual report of the national chlamydia screening programme for 2004–05 stated that only 12.5% of those screened were men—a very small rise from 7% in 2003–04. Again, we are reaching only a small proportion of the men who potentially are at risk. Part of the reason for the low take-up is the locations at which screening is offered. Last year it was offered at 539 family planning clinics and general practices, but at only 195 young person's clinics, military bases, prisons and universities.” “Much more work needs to be done to increase the types of venue at which screening is offered, particularly to include those where men are likely to be present. We must look hard at how screening is marketed to men. A lot more thought needs to go into how the kits are advertised, displayed and made available in pharmacies, to increase the number of men who are tested.” Dr Stoate also made the point that a well resourced, high profile screening programme would be able to achieve a significant reduction in the incidence of chlamydia in only a few years. “I have seen evidence that a chlamydia screening programme would in five years reduce its incidence to about 10% of its current level. It is not a long-term project. A relatively short-term approach to screening for chlamydia could reduce the risk of the infection in the community by such a huge margin, in only a five-year period, that at the end of that time it would be possible to reduce the level of screening, because of a falling away of demand and need. What I am describing is one of those situations in which a relatively small amount of money up front can have a beneficial long-term effect. The cost will be contained, not continuing.” “Clamydia is easily treated once it is diagnosed. In fact, a single dose of antibiotic is effective in nearly 99% of all cases, and the experts do not even recommend follow-up. Once the one-off dose of the drug of choice for the condition, azithromycin, has been given, eradiation is virtually guaranteed, and there is therefore no need for follow-up. That is obviously very welcome, because it improves compliance and concordance with treatment, but it is worrying that the drug is not being handed out in enough cases.” Note The full text of the debate can be found by visiting http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm060209/hallindx/60209-x.htm |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
Related Items
© 2008 Dr Howard Stoate - Member of Parliament for Dartford
Joomla! is Free Software released under the GNU/GPL License. JoomSEF SEO by Artio (http://www.artio.net) - databases, information system and web applications