Use of Self-collected Vaginal Swabs as an Innovative Approach to Facilitate Testing for Repeat Chlamydia Infection

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Status

Completed

Conditions

Chlamydia Infections

Treatments

Procedure: Self-collected vaginal swab for chlamydia testing

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT00132457

CDC-NCHSTP-4274

U36/CCU319276

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to determine if, among women who were treated for a prior chlamydial infection, home-based, self-collected vaginal swabs can increase rescreening for chlamydia in comparison with rescreening in the clinic. The study design is two randomized trials with enrollment at multiple family planning clinics and sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics following a common protocol.

Full description

The study consists of two complementary trials, denoted as Part A and Part B. In Part A, women/girls who had a positive test for chlamydia will be enrolled when they visit the study clinics for treatment. After written informed consent is obtained, women will be randomly assigned to the Clinic Group, in which they will be advised to return to the clinic for rescreening for chlamydia, or the Home Group, in which women will be asked to collect a vaginal swab at home and mail it to the study laboratory for chlamydia testing. In part B, women who were tested and empirically treated for a chlamydial infection will be called if their tests were positive. Enrollment will be offered over the phone after verbal consent. Rescreening will be scheduled 3 months after treatment of the initial infection for women in both trials.

Enrollment

1,830 estimated patients

Sex

Female

Ages

16+ years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Women/girls with a lab-confirmed genital chlamydia infection

Exclusion criteria

Women who are pregnant, or are trying to conceive in the following 3 months.
Women who are planning to move in the following 3 months or currently living outside the study areas.
Inability to understand spoken English adequately to assure informed consent and compliance with study procedures.
Self-reported HIV infection; other serious illnesses or disability.
Self-reported allergy to macrolide antibiotics such as azithromycin.
Referrals from providers or clinics other than the STD or family planning clinics, unless women are re-tested at the STD clinics and test positive for chlamydia.