Public Health expands recommendations for prevention of chlamydia and gonorrhea

KING COUNTY, WA - Today, Public Health - Seattle & King County announced expansion of its efforts to stem the spread of chlamydia and gonorrhea. All women with these infections are now encouraged to return to their doctors or clinics to be retested three months after treatment, a process called "rescreening."

"We can't let our guard down against the spread of sexually transmitted diseases," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "This new effort is another example of how our STD Control Program continues to be recognized as an innovative leader in combating the spread of these potentially harmful diseases."

Chlamydia and gonorrhea are two of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in King County. During 2000, 4233 chlamydial infections and 1162 cases of gonorrhea were reported in King County residents.

"With proper antibiotics, chlamydia and gonorrhea are easily treatable," said Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director of Public Health - Seattle & King County. "The problem is that repeat infections are very common in the first months after the initial treatment."

Repeat infections in women are especially likely to cause complications, such as:

• infection of the fallopian tubes (called pelvic inflammatory disease)
• infertility
• tubal (ectopic) pregnancy

"Most gonorrhea and chlamydial infections are silent, so a woman usually doesn't know the infection has returned," said Dr. Hunter Handsfield, director of Public Health's STD Control Program. "Because serious complications are common, it's important that all women with these infections return for rescreening three months later."

Besides recommending rescreening for all women who received treatment for gonorrhea and chlamydia at Public Health's clinics, the STD Control Program is now sending letters to all King County clinics and doctors when they diagnose a woman with gonorrhea or chlamydia, advising them to urge their patients to return for rescreening.

Also, Public Health urges infected women themselves to ask their health care providers for repeat chlamydia or gonorrhea tests. Alternatively, women can come directly to the Public Health STD Clinic for free rescreening three months to four months after treatment, regardless of where the patient was treated for her original infection.

"Advances in testing make rescreening easy," Handsfield said. "Rescreening often can be done on a urine specimen, without a pelvic exam, making the return visit quick and inexpensive."

In recommending rescreening, Public Health cited research showing that 10% to 15% of women with chlamydia or gonorrhea have repeat infections when retested a few months later. According to Handsfield, repeat infection most often occurs because a woman catches it again, usually from a partner who was not treated at the same time.

"All sex partners of a person with gonorrhea or chlamydia should be promptly treated," said Handsfield. "But sometimes treatment doesn't cure the infection. So rescreening is important even if the patient is sure her partner was treated."

In addition to this rescreening effort, Public Health's control program for chlamydia and gonorrhea includes the following:

• education about abstinence and safer sex
• routine testing of young, sexually active women and men whenever they visit a doctor or clinic for any reason
• diagnosis and treatment of persons with symptoms of infection, such as discharge from the penis or vagina, or painful urination
• treatment of infected persons' sex partners

For further information, including the location and hours of the Public Health STD Clinic at Harborview, interested persons may call Public Health's STD/AIDS hotline at 206-205-STDS (7837).

Information can also be found at Public Health's STD web page: www.kingcounty.gov/health/std