Rescreening for gonorrhea and chlamydial infection through the mail: a randomized trial

Abstract

Background: Rescreening patients after treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis or Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection has had high yield but low rates of participation.

Goal: The goal of this study was to determine if rescreening for gonorrhea and chlamydial infection in a largely urban sexually transmitted disease population would be more successful if individuals were given the option of submitting a specimen for testing through the mail.

Study design: We conducted a randomized clinical trial involving 122 patients of whom 62 were assigned to clinic rescreening and 60 were given the option of either mailing a specimen for testing or going to a clinic for rescreening.

Results: Twenty-seven patients (45%) given the option of either rescreening in the clinic or through the mail and 20 (32%) assigned to clinic rescreening were rescreened within 28 days of enrollment in the study (odds ratio, 1.7; 95% confidence interval, 0.8-3.8). Of the 60 patients randomized to the clinic rescreening or mailing option, 11 of 18 (61%) who opted to mail in a specimen and 16 of 42 (38%) who chose clinic rescreening were rescreened within 28 days of enrollment (P = 0.10).

Conclusions: Although not statistically significant, this study indicates that mailed rescreening could be a successful method to increase rescreening rates.