Chlamydia tests at county department

Girls and young women who come to the El Paso County health department for a pregnancy test are now also getting checked for chlamydia, a common sexually transmitted disease that has been on the rise in recent years.

Women ages 15 to 25 make up the highest percentage of chlamydia cases, and they are also the most affected. Chlamydia is one of the leading causes of infertility and can lead to other health problems such as pelvic inflammatory disease.

Referred to as a “silent” disease because there aren’t always symptoms, untreated chlamydia can create complications during pregnancy such as premature delivery and eye or respiratory infections for the infant.

Teens and 20-somethings aren’t likely to go to an STD clinic when there are no symptoms to alert them of a problem, said health officials at the El Paso County Department of Health and Environment.

But they are quick to go to the health department when they think they are pregnant.

By offering a chlamydia test at that time — it is a simple urine test similar to a pregnancy test — officials hope to catch women who would not otherwise be tested. Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics.

The health department’s pregnancy center began offering the chlamydia test, which also detects gonorrhea, on Jan. 25. Though voluntary, no woman has turned it down, said Jill Law, division director for Clinical Services and a registered nurse. Of the 28 women tested, four were positive for chlamydia.

Dr. Wendy Bamberg, the Clinical Programs physician, said the additional testing gives health officials a chance to educate young women about the disease, its risks, and the importance of condom use for the sexually active.

El Paso County has higher chlamydia rates than Colorado and the U.S. for women ages 15 to 25, Law said.

In 2005, the latest year available, the average chlamydia rate for women that age was 335 per 100,000 in Colorado, and in El Paso County, 427 per 100,000. El Paso County saw 1,238 cases that year in that age group.

Nationally, there were more than a million reported cases of chlamydia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even though it’s the most commonly reported STD, the CDC says the number of unreported cases is substantial. One survey estimated about 2.3 million 14- to 39-year-olds are infected.

A 2006 report from the CDC showed a 5.6 percent increase from 2005. That could be from actual cases or improvements in screening and diagnosing for the disease.

When chlamydia does cause symptoms in women, they include discharge, pain during sex and nonmenstrual bleeding.

Though the new service is targeted at young women, there is no age requirement to be tested.

KIDS’ VACCINE SUSPENDED

A vaccine that protects against viral meningitis and pneumonia has been suspended for some children after a recall resulted in a national shortage of shots.

The risk to children who are temporarily being denied shots is low, according to The El Paso County Department of Health and Environment.

On Dec. 13, Merck & Co. Inc. recalled about a million doses of the Haemophilus influenza type b vaccine because of contamination concerns. The doses made up much of the nation’s supply.

The county health department did not have any of the recalled vaccines, but the national shortage led the CDC to recommend that it and other vaccine providers save their vaccines for children under a year old or with special health needs.

Jill Law is division director of Clinical Services for the health department and oversees the immunization program. She said the children affected by the suspension are 95 percent protected against the possible diseases if they received the usual Hib immunizations as babies. The vaccine for children over 1, the last booster in a series, ensures they stay protected long-term. A temporary delay, she said, is not going to increase their chances of falling ill.

Families who can’t get vaccines will be notified when the supply is restored and the recommended suspension is lifted, Law said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Merck plans to resume distribution of the vaccine toward the end of the year.

THE GAZETTE