Mass Chlamydia Screening vs. Opportunistic Screening in College Freshmen

Chlamydia trachomatis is the number one sexually transmitted disease in the United States and North Dakota. It has seen a steady rise in the past 10 years. Chlamydia is a preventable and treatable disease but the current lack of sufficient screening and identification of this disease often leads to many health consequences. Standard USPSTF screening guidelines are available for practitioners but despite the use of recommended opportunistic screening with patients, only about 3 8% of females ages 15-25 years are being screened appropriately and there is even less identification in males. There is growing literature on the efficacy of using mass chlamydia screening; especially in high school and college populations due to the high risk status found in these age groups. Mass chlamydia screenings are feasible, reproducible, acceptable among students and staff, and are cost-effective. Several studies have implemented mass screenings to determine effectiveness but further investigation into additional benefits and limitations of mass chlamydia screening needs to be explored. Researchers are also examining the impact of combining appropriate education with screening, and the use of patient self-selection, to yield increased screening rates without causing over-screening and to yield more cost-effective screening methods. College maybe an ideal avenue to mass screen a large number of young adults simultaneously and ultimately decrease the growing incidence of Chlamydia in our country