CHLAMYDIA: Infertility Prevention Project Aims To Reduce Rate Among Teens
In an effort to curb the transmission of chlamydia, the leading preventable cause of infertility in California, the California Family Health Council, the Los Angeles County Sexually Transmitted Disease Program and the California State Sexually Transmitted Control Branch are collaborating to establish the Los Angeles County Infertility Prevention Project (LACIPP). Chlamydia rates have reached "epidemic levels" in the state, infecting nearly 3% of women of childbearing age and 10% of sexually active adolescents. Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Office of Population Affairs, LACIPP will coordinate with similar programs in Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii, and other California counties via regional advisory committees in a united effort to fight the disease. In California, IPP employs a system to monitor chlamydia cases in clinics throughout the state and at 11 "sentinel sites" in order to collect client demographics and determine behavioral risk factors. The project offers on-site training and technical assistance for chlamydia-related clinical care to health care providers, and issues guidelines for chlamydia diagnosis, treatment, patient education and partner management. In an effort to reach underserved populations, IPP funds have supported expanded chlamydia screening among adolescents at high school clinics and the Los Angeles County juvenile hall, and sponsored special projects to promote awareness, such as the Condom Package Art Contest (IPP release, 11/9).
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