GPs reluctant to offer partner therapy for chlamydia

GPs show little enthusiasm for the concept of patient-delivered partner therapy for chlamydia, citing concerns about providing medications for people they have not met or assessed.

A Melbourne study has found that while patient-delivered partner therapy may be ‘better than nothing’ to curb rising Chlamydia rates, GPs have little confidence in this approach and want clearer guidance on it.

Fiji tops chlamydia list

FIJI has the highest number of chlamydia cases in the Pacific.

This was revealed at a sexually transmitted infections (STI) training workshop for health workers yesterday.

According to Dr Sophaganine Ty Ali, an STI adviser with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, in 2008, 26.8 per cent of pregnant women in Fiji suffered from chlamydia.

This statistic has placed Fiji as having the highest prevalence of chlamydia in pregnant women in the Pacific.

"There is an urgent need to do more testing and treatment of STIs and to address asymptomatic STI cases and focus on other STIs such as gonorrhea and syphilis," she said.

She stressed the need to link STI control to human immuno deficiency (HIV) testing and behaviours changes and to place stronger emphasis on strategic health communication.

"Chlamydia rates in the Pacific are higher than some countries in Asia and Africa," she said.

Chlamydia reports spur STD talk today

Given the mushrooming number of chlamydia reports in both Volusia and Flagler counties, Volusia County Health Department Director Dr. Bonnie Sorensen has scheduled a talk about sexually-transmitted disease for today.

Looking at the rates of cases per 100,000 residents over three-year, rolling averages, reports of chlamydia in Flagler County have increased by 86 percent between 2004 and 2008; by 50 percent in Volusia County over the same time.

Chlamydia is biggest STI problem in East Berks

The people of Berkshire East are sexually healthier than their neighbours, new figures have revealed.

But young people across the area are being warned by medical chiefs not to put themselves at risk.

A Health Protection Agency (HPA) report on people affected with STIs was revealed last week.

It says 775.7 people were infected with chlamydia per 100,000 of the population in Berkshire East - which covers Windsor, Maidenhead, Slough and Bracknell and surrounding areas - compared with 1415.5 in Berkshire West and 1295.4 in Buckinghamshire.