Chlamydia Prevention: Challenges and Strategies for Reducing Disease Burden

With over 1.2 million cases reported annually, Chlamydia trachomatis infection (chlamydia) is the most commonly reported notifiable disease in the U.S. Chlamydia, a sexually transmitted infection, can lead to a host of serious reproductive health problems in women, including infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease. The burden of infection is highest among adolescents and there are also substantial racial disparities, with non-Hispanic blacks disproportionately affected.

Chlamydia is easily detected and treated, but recommended annual screening remains underutilized. Lack of awareness, social stigma, barriers to finding and treating sex partners of infected women, and difficulties in measuring public health impact all present challenges and opportunities for chlamydia prevention programs.

This session of Public Health Grand Rounds focused on current efforts to reduce the burden of chlamydia and its complications, as well as addressed the myriad social disparities and challenges that face those seeking to limit the reach of this serious public health problem.