Chlamydia testing in community pharmacies
5 November 2010
A new initiative to offer chlamydia testing and treatment to all young people aged between 15-24 from three community pharmacies, is being launched by the Buckinghamshire Chlamydia Screening Programme.
From today, the three pharmacies – Centra in High Wycombe, Tesco Tring Road in Aylesbury, and Garlicks on Broadway in Chesham (from 18 November) – will provide free testing and treatment for chlamydia for young people.
Chlamydia screening programme posters will be placed in the windows of the pharmacies promoting ‘FREE Chlamydia Screening Here Today’ with testing kits available inside. Other sexual health information will also be available for people to access.
Young people can ask a member of staff at these pharmacies for a free chlamydia test and if they do the test they will get the results within ten days by their preferred method of contact i.e. text or phone. Treatment, if necessary, is simple with usually one dose of antibiotics.
Anne Downes, clinical lead for the Chlamydia Screening Programme, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer free chlamydia testing and treatment from these pharmacies as part of this pilot project, which we hope to expand as the project develops.
“Our message to sexually active people under 25 is to choose a chlamydia test annually, or when you change your sexual partner. The test is free, painless and confidential and chlamydia is also very easy to treat.”
Chlamydia is the UK's most common sexually transmitted infection and does not often have any symptoms. Latest statistics show that 1 in 14 young people aged between 15 and 24 years of age will test positive for chlamydia without knowing they have it. They could be passing it on to other people without realising it by having unprotected sex.
If chlamydia is not treated then the infection can spread to other parts of the body and cause pain, especially in the abdomen and in some cases can lead to infertility. This risk is increased if you get infected again and again.
To protect yourself from sexually transmitted infections use a condom every time you have sex. Free condoms are available widely in Buckinghamshire through the Condom C Card scheme. There is a list of places to get them from Buckinghamshire's sexual health website (www.sexualhealthbucks.nhs.uk) with information on sexual health, contraception and local services.
The Buckinghamshire Chlamydia Screening Programme is run by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust and commissioned by NHS Buckinghamshire.
Further information can be found at:
www.morethanahug.com - Buckinghamshire's Chlamydia Screening Programme website with information about the local screening programme and to request a FREE POSTAL KIT online.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
• Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust provide a wide range of high quality acute and community services from three acute hospital sites in Amersham, Stoke Mandeville and Wycombe, five community hospitals at Thame, Marlow, Buckingham, Chalfonts and Gerrards Cross and Waterside, and a number of community sites across the county. Details of these can be found here: http://www.buckinghamshirehospitals.nhs.uk/community-health-services.htm
• Specialist services include our regional dermatology, allergy and skin cancer centre, burns care and plastics sub-regional centre, cardiac services and the National Spinal Injuries Centre
• More than 6,000 staff serve residents across Buckinghamshire, Thame (Oxfordshire), Tring (Hertfordshire) and Leighton Buzzard (Bedfordshire) - a combined population of 500,000. It serves a much larger population, 1.5m, for burns and plastic services and 14m for spinal injuries
For further information, contact the communications team on 01494 734959 or at communications@buckshosp.nhs.uk
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