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Chlamydia: Screening

Answer

Data on the number of sexual health screens, which includes a test for Chlamydia, in genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics between 2003 and 2007, the latest year for which figures are available, are shown in the following table.

Sexual health screens
	Number
2003	633,289
2004	727,010
2005	810,140
2006	883,488
2007	1,022,801
Notes:
1. One sexual health screen includes a test for Chlamydia and gonorrhoea at minimum and this is considered as one screen.
2. The data available from the KC60 statutory returns are for Chlamydia tests in GUM clinics only. Chlamydia tests in other clinical settings, such as general practice, are not recorded in the KC60 dataset.
3. The data available from the KC60 statutory returns are the number of tests made, not the number of patients tested.
4. The information provided has been adjusted for missing clinic data.
5. Data are unavailable for 2008
Source:
Health Protection Agency, KC60 returns

In addition to sexual health screens in GUM clinics, the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) provides screening for Chlamydia to asymptomatic people aged under 25 years of age in healthcare and non healthcare settings across England. The NCSP was launched in 2003. The following table shows the total number of Chlamydia tests done in general practice and pharmacies among 15-24 year-olds during the period 1 April 2003-31March 2008.

Venue type
	General practitioner surgeries	Pharmacies
2003-04	2,445	0
2004-05	7,426	36
2005-06	17,281	8,272
2006-07	23,271	113,309
2007-08	43,046	9,052
Notes:
1. Data includes Chlamydia tests for males, females, and those with unknown/unspecified sex.
2. Data presented are the number of Chlamydia tests performed and not number of people tested. It should be noted that number of Chlamydia tests collected through the NCSP will be used as a proxy for the number of people tested.
3. Data presented are based on tests with confirmed positive and negative results only. Tests with equivocal, inhibitory and insufficient results have been excluded as most people with these results are retested.
4. Data presented are based on young people resident in England only.
5. The total number of tests will increase annually as the NCSP was rolled out in phases across England with participation of all 152 primary care trusts occurring at the end of 2007-08.
6. The total number of tests done in pharmacies increased substantially in 2005-06 because the Boots Pathfinder pilot was run between November 2005 and March 2008. The pilot project was based on Chlamydia testing being made available in selected Boots pharmacies across London.
Source:
National Chlamydia Screening Programme

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

489 c1021-2W;489 c1023-4W; 263576

Session

2008-09

Subjects

Screening Chlamydia

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk