Scientists studying the sexually transmitted infection chlamydia have called for women to get routinely tested for the infection every time they have intercourse with a new partner.
In a study of 2,500 students, the team concluded that annual screening for the infection was not sufficient to prevent women developing pelvic inflammatory disease, a possible complication of the infection which can lead to infertility.
The team said that when chlamydia was correctly diagnosed, it cut the risk of a woman developing pelvic inflammatory disease by 80%. However since the infection is frequently present without symptoms, getting regular tests is often the only way to detect the infection.
In the study, sexually active females aged between 16 and 27 at various colleges and universities in London were asked to get swabbed at the starts of the trial to check for pelvic inflammatory disease. The test was then repeated a year later. Chlamydia tests were also done.
The findings suggested that PID was most common in women who initially tested negative for chlamydia at the start of the study, indicating that an annual test was not enough to protect women against the potential side effects of chlamydia.
Scientist Pippa Oakeshott, also a GP, said that the results has lead her team to conclude that women should get chlamydia tests everytime they have a new partner and that women should also routinely be screened for gonorrhoea.
The Chlamydia National Screening Program has praised the research, published in the British Medical Journal.
While certainly we support the proposal and believe that if people took better care of their sexual health, society as a whole would benefit. We will, however, be very surprised if the study makes any difference to policy.
Most local health authorities struggle to get young adults to get tested once a year, with many routinely missing the targets set by the National Screening Service, so it seems like a long shot to hope that women can be pushed to follow the recommendations.