Increasing the uptake of testing for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea among young female Emergency Department patients

Objective To test the effects of a brief intervention (BI) on increasing uptake of chlamydia and gonorrhea (CG) testing, among asymptomatic young female emergency department (ED) patients. Method: Over six weeks two research assistants (RAs) approached female patients in two EDs. Eligible patients were between18-35 and not presenting for STD treatment. Women who had sex with a man were consented into the study. Participants answered questions about condom usage, risks for CG, sexual partners, and substance use. Participants were randomized into control or treatment conditions. Treatment group participants received a BI from RAs. BI focused on women's personal risks for CG, and condoms attitudes and usage. Participants were offered free urine tests for CG. Results: 173 women consented. Average age was 26, 37% were Hispanic, and 12% were Spanish-speaking only. Uptake of testing was analyzed using a multinomial logistic regression model using group assignment and demographic characteristics as predictive variables, with 90% CIs (one-tailed hypotheses). Participants in the treatment group versus those in the control group (58% v 42%) (OR 1.78 [1.05-3.06]) and participants who self-identified as Hispanic versus non –Hispanic (57% v 32%) (OR 2.87 [1.67-4.96]) were more likely to accept testing for CG. Of the asymptomatic women tested for CG, 4 (6%) tested positive. Conclusions: A BI can effectively increase a woman's self-perceived CG risks and increase testing uptake. This can lead to the detection and treatment of CG in asymptomatic women. The greater proportion of Hispanic women being tested is encouraging for this underserved population.